Variety or error?

General discussions on the canadian coins errors and varieties.
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cuffydollar
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Feb 26, 2014 12:55 am

Variety or error?

Post by cuffydollar » Tue Mar 11, 2014 12:15 am

Hi there I have I think 8 or 10 of these dimes(I hope no one will be upset that I use that term). Each one I have is slightly different but all have the same area occupied by a lump of metal. They are all 1998.What would cause this, a damaged die? Why are they all slightly different. Has anyone else come across something similar.
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thanks

Laurie

verdigris
Posts: 227
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:51 am

Re: Variety or error?

Post by verdigris » Thu Mar 13, 2014 12:06 am

You could say it's a variety of error. The area is a high spot on the die, obviously a weak one, and has chipped off gradually on a die; otherwise on more than one die. Nevertheless, the bottom three look a bit similar the first not as much. Somewhat common error I would think.

Cheers

Bill in Burl
Posts: 1457
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:41 am
Location: Golden Horseshoe, ONT

Re: Variety or error?

Post by Bill in Burl » Thu Mar 13, 2014 5:00 am

Cuffy ... Rmemeber that the highest points of lefief (raised) portion on the coin will be the most incuse (recessed) on the working die. Both rust pits and small chips off the edges of the design will give you coins such as yours. Depending on where they show up, it is one of those two culprits. If the irregularity is out in the smooth field on the coin, it is most assuredly a small rust pit or dent in gouge in the die. I would think that they are pretty common if you have several. Minted coins are utilitarian objects and weren't meant to be perfect when minted or manufactured .. the object was to make as many as mpoosible in the shortest period of time and at the cheapest cost. They used the dies until they were unusable.
Bill in Burl

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