As originally published in Australasian Coin and Banknote Magazine in September 2022. What Went Wrong -error coins that escaped the Mint Figure 1 – Great Britain 1988 One Penny Struck on Faulty Planchet Error We’re going to discuss an error coin this month that originated from an overseas mint. A mint that, in times of need, has struck Australian coins. If you have an interest in collecting error coins you will realise some error types are rarely seen on Australian coins. Often those error types are more easily found on a coin from another country and still fit nicely into a collection. Even ..read more

As originally published in Australasian Coin and Banknote Magazine in August 2022. What Went Wrong -error coins that escaped the Mint Figure 1 – Australia 1956 Florin Struck Out of Collar Error If you’ve been reading our articles each month you will be familiar with the collar die, the third die used when striking coins. It is an integral part of the coining process as it is one way of imparting edge design such as reeding. For a round coin, the collar die is shaped like a hollow cylinder and constrains the blank as the coin is struck. This ensures all coins struck are relatively uniform in ..read more

As originally published in Australasian Coin and Banknote Magazine in June 2022. What Went Wrong -error coins that escaped the Mint Figure 1 – Australia 1966-1984 Die Adjustment Strike Error Manufacturing coins is a high-pressure business, both figuratively and literally! What sorts of pressures are involved in making a coin? 35 tonnes and upward, with some sources suggesting proof coins need striking pressures of 500 tonnes and more [1]. Of course, the higher the pressure the more potential for damage and wear to both the coin dies and the coin press. On the other hand, if the pressure is t ..read more

As originally published in Australasian Coin and Banknote Magazine in July 2022. What Went Wrong -error coins that escaped the Mint Figure 1 – Australia 1964 Struck Through Scrap on Obverse Error We’re sure that coin producers do their best to keep the process of making coins a neat and tidy one. However, as with most manufacturing, contamination can and does occur through most of the processes needed to make a coin. When a contaminant gets into the coin press and is struck along with the coin, we get what is known as a ‘strike through error’. That is, the coin has been struck through some s ..read more

As originally published in Australasian Coin and Banknote Magazine. What Went Wrong -error coins that escaped the Mint Figure 1 – Australia 1942I/1943I Obverse Brockage Error The image shown along with this article is one that plays tricks with your eyes. Are you looking at two distinct coins with different lighting and subject to some sort of image mirroring? Or is it, perhaps, the same coin that has somehow been struck in error? Of course, the image depicts both sides of the same coin, but it’s confusing enough to warrant more explanation. On the left you’re seeing the obverse of a 1942 or ..read more

As originally published in Australasian Coin and Banknote Magazine. What Went Wrong -error coins that escaped the Mint Figure 1 – 1966 Five Cent Upset Die Error Back in the May 2021 edition of The Australasian Coin & Banknote Magazine (Volume 24 / Number 4) we talked about London minted 1966 10 cent coins with upset / rotated die errors. What we didn’t mention in that article is that 1966 5 cent coins, also minted in London, have been very occasionally sighted struck with die rotations. When we wrote the article we’d never actually seen a 1966 five cent die rotation, just a picture of on ..read more

As originally published in Australasian Coin and Banknote Magazine. What Went Wrong -error coins that escaped the Mint Figure 1 – 1986 20 cent struck through oil or debris Figure 1 shows a 20 cent with two areas that have been struck through either oil or debris. The ‘strike through’ error is a catch-all term that covers the family of errors where some sort of foreign material comes between the coin die and the blank planchet when it is struck. This results in an area of the coin design being largely obscured or completely obliterated. What sorts of foreign material can come between the plan ..read more

As originally published in Australasian Coin and Banknote Magazine Yearbook for 2021/2022 What Went Wrong -error coins that escaped the Mint Figure 1 – Australia 1964 Penny Error – Double Struck in Collar Figure 1 shows an interesting Melbourne minted 1964 penny. The sharp-eyed reader will likely be drawn to the double forehead of Her Majesty on the obverse. On the reverse there is great interest in the second set of numerals 964 just below the date (see Figure 2). What is the cause of both of these distinguishing features? This 1964 penny is correctly classified as “double struck in collar ..read more

As originally published in Australasian Coin and Banknote Magazine November 2021 What Went Wrong -error coins that escaped the Mint Figure 1 – Australia 1966-1984 2 Cent Struck on Split Planchet This month we have the pleasure of showcasing an error coin that is very rare indeed. What looks at first glance to be a pretty rubbish two cent piece is one of the hardest error types to find. This coin is underweight and considerably thinner than it should be. Looking at the heavily striated surface texture of the reverse allows us to identify that it was here that a fatal flaw occurred. It’s along ..read more

As originally published in Australasian Coin and Banknote Magazine October 2021 What Went Wrong -error coins that escaped the Mint Image 1 – Australia 1948 Penny Struck on Underweight Planchet Our showcased error coin this month is an error type that is a particular favourite of one of the authors. The coin in question is a Melbourne minted 1948 penny struck on an underweight 9.06 gram planchet (normal penny weight is 9.45 grams). A good part of the design of the coin is missing towards the bottom on both sides of the coin. The surface of the area of missing design is smooth on the obverse ..read more