Unusual Canadian coins errors and oddities
By thecanadiannumismatist | Wednesday, 4 May 2022
Even if some of the following coins were probably man-made at the Mint out of the regular production process, these oddities are often stunning and very intriguing. It's unlikely that anyone have a chance to find something similar in change or by coin roll hunting.
There is no particular order for the following coins.
1 cent 1978 - Double reverse die cap
This PCGS MS-64 Red and Brown coin is not the only double reverse copper cent. Approximately 5 are known and certified including a 1980 PCGS MS-64 Red one which just sold for $12,500 last January. But this is the only one known with a Die Cap error.
Although struck over 25 years ago, this new discovery was just certified at PCGS. It is the only known certified two headed or two tailed coin that is also a die cap. The odds of this combination occuring are extremely rare.
- Mint Error News
Genuine two headed coins are extremely rare. There are often confused with magician's coins, which is a novelty piece with no numismatic value.
2 dollars 2000 - Struck on United States Sacagawea dollar
In 1999 and 2000, the Royal Canadian Mint supplied planchets for 5 cents and Sacagawea dollars coins to assist and alleviate the production constraints caused by the introduction of the new Sacagawea dollar in 2000, to be sold to collectors by the United States Mint.
The Royal Canadian Mint upset the rims on some of the 2000 Sacagawea planchets, due to the large number of first-year Sacagaweas struck - more than 1.25 billion pieces between Philadelphia and Denver.
- Heritage Auctions
In addition to this discovery, a Canadian 2000 Elizabeth II 50 cents was also found struck on a United States 1 dollar Sacagawea planchet, undoubtedly caused by a similar mix-up at the Royal Canadian Mint.
The 2000 PCGS MS-66 2 dollars error coin sold in 2010 for around $9,000 and the 2000 PCGS MS-64 50 cents sold in 2003 for around $4,500. Another 2000 PCGS MS-64 example sold for $6,000 in 2014.
Silver Olympics - Multiple struck over by 1978 1 cent dies
A unique $10 (Temple) Montreal Olympic Games coin which was struck multiple times by a pair of 1978 1-cent dies.
50 cents 1973 - Off-Center Double-Strike Brockage
PCGS MS-64, this coin sold in June 2019 for $5,050 and in January 2020 for $6,550.
A dramatic mint error that features a clear case of double-striking, interestingly so with dies of the 1973 dollar (KM82), and then a further case of the coin sticking to the dies to yield a brockage impression of the reverse building design. Very unlikely, even for a mint error, and an fascinating study piece.
- Heritage Auctions
1 dollar 1970 - Struck on gold planchet
Struck on a 12K gold planchet, this PCGS MS-63 coin sold for $27,370 in 2021. Another example, PCGS MS-62, sold for $14,300 in 2020. Only 6 pieces are known of the 10 pieces originally struck. Four were melted.
25 cents 1969 - Struck over foreign gold coins
Struck over a British 1967 Gold Sovereign
Certified PCGS MS-65, this coin sold at auction in New York in January 2014 for around $23,000. This coin is popular because of the number collector of Sovereigns or mint errors in Canada, Great Britain and around the world.
Specifications
- Alloy: 91.67% Gold and 8.3% Copper
- Weight: 7.98805 grams
- Diameter: 22.05 mm, thickness 1.52 mm
- Die axis: ↑↑
- Magnetism: Not magnetic
- Value
Struck over a German-Prussion Gold 20 Mark 1906A
Recently sold (January 22, 2021) for around $27,700. It is certified NGC MS-65.
Specifications
- Fineness: 0.9000
- Weight: 7.9650 grams
- Diameter: 22.5 mm
- Magnetism: Not magnetic
10 cents 1982 - Muled with cent die
This is a coin struck with dies not intended to be used together. The mismatched one was the Canadian 1 cent reverse die. At least 2 examples of this error are known, including a PCGS MS-62 owned by Mike Byers:
[This specimen] was purchased from a Canadian collector who discovered it in change.
The other, MS-64 PCGS, sold in December 2020 for $3,560.
Most silver-looking 1-cent coins found in circulation were dipped in tin (plated) by someone post-production, which doesn't add any value.
15 dollars 1992 - Struck on 1 oz gold Maple Leaf blank
This proof commemorative coin was certified by NGC PR-68 Ultra Cameo in 2015.
The International Olympic Committee decided to commemorate the centennial of the Olympic Games. In 1992 the Spirit of the Generations proof silver coin was issued by the Royal Canadian Mint and released in a special presentation box.
On September 15, 2003, the Royal Canadian Mint auctioned two different special gold strikings of silver commemorative coins. These were sold on Ebay and made headline news in Canada since the Royal Canadian Mint had never released special gold strikings before. CBC News and other Canadian news outlets followed the auction and reported this story in their business sections. These two gold strikings were the size of a Kennedy Half Dollar and they sold for approximately $50,000 and $75,000 (U.S. Dollars). Andy Lustig was the successful high bidder and purchased both of these gold strikings on Ebay.
This 1992 $15 special gold striking is more than twice the size of the two special gold strikings that sold on Ebay. It was also struck without edge lettering. The original silver planchet for this Olympic issue erroneously substituted with a 1 oz gold Maple Leaf blank. It is known in a custom NGC multi-coin holder with a regular silver PR-69 Ultra Cameo one.
The diameter of this gold planchet (30mm) expanded during the striking process to the size of the dies (40mm), thus accounting for the slightly odd nature to the rims of this piece, as there was not quite enough metal to fill the entire area demanded by the dies.
- Heritage Auctions
There are only two kown. A second example is graded by PCGS as a PR-67 Deep Cameo.
100 dollars 1985 - National Parks errors
Pair of reverse die cap and brockage
The Royal Canadian Mint issued this coin in 1985. It is the $100 National Park Commemorative Coin. The obverse depicts Queen Elizabeth II and the reverse has a bighorn mountain sheep.
An intriguing and extremely scarce pair of mated die cap errors, resulting from a rare occurrence in which both dies were capped at the same time and struck one another, imparting an impression of each coin onto the other. Given the inclusion of two separate planchets in the error process, mated die caps are exceedingly difficult to locate, yet both examples resulting from this process are kept together.
- Heritage Auctions
Double struck
At least 2 examples of this coins are known:
- NGC PR-68 Ultra Cameo - Sold at auction on January 2019 for $25,500.
- PCGS PR-67 Deep Cameo - Sold at auction on April 25, 2019 for $21,000.
1 cent 1978 - Struck on United States 1 cent 1973
Rare coin struck in 2 different countries, 5 years between each strike. It is certified by NGC MS-64 Brown.
Prices in Canadian dollar. Pictures by PCGS, Heritage Auctions, Mint Error News.
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