Download or read book US Error Coin Guide 2024 - Variety Edition written by Stan McDonald and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2023-10-05 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Welcome to the 15th edition of the US Error Coin Guide, which presents over 4,200 listings for all types of errors with more than 45,000 coins reviewed. Our number-one selling guide. The information in this guide is based on 60 years of coin collecting experience, associations with numismatic organizations, and research from PCGS, NGC, the US Mint, and the US Treasury. The author of this guide was a paid contributor to a coin magazine. For doubled die, RPM, striking, planchet, and die errors the US Error Coin Guide 2024 is available. There are some coin varieties that have significant value and others that have little or no added value. The number minted and type of variation contribute to the value of the coin, but most variations have no validated mintages, so collectors must rely on commonality and availability to determine the rarity. A variety coin is deemed to be a coin minted using different dies, altered dies, or a damaged die. Variations occur when an alternate die with different details is used accidentally or intentionally. Mint workers can create varieties by altering the details on a die. A die can become damaged, and if it produces coins with the exact same flaw, a variety is created. The 1960 small and large dated Lincoln cents are an example of an intentional variety designed to correct a minting issue. The small date was changed to a large date in 1960 because of a die chip issue with the smaller numbers[1]. The small dates are an example of a common variation with unknown mintages. Unintentional varieties like the two feather buffalo nickels were created by accident by die polishing. A damaged die that is used for successive mintages like the speared bison 2005 nickel creates varieties. Minting dies are made from a steel rod that is pressed into a steel hub that contains the profile of the intended design. The steel rod is pressed into the hub a few times to create a working die for minting. When the rod is misaligned on subsequent impressions or the hub rotates, doubling occurs. There are a few classifications for doubled dies, some that are apparent and others that are more challenging to detect[2]. Before 1996, all minting dies were made in Philadelphia and then shipped to Denver or San Francisco, where the mintmark was added. A previous mintmark was often removed, and another mintmark was manually hammered into the minting die. Failure to remove all the first mintmark(s) led to RPM errors. An over mintmark error occurred when a minting die with a mintmark from another mint location was reworked but traces of the previous mintmark remained on the die. Mintmark variations were created when a mint worker misplaced, inverted, or tilted a mintmark on a minting die. Variety coin values are based on several factors. Values are based on demand, actual or estimated mintage, and grade. Mintages are sometimes estimated as a percentage of the total coins issued or by the number of coins encased by the grading services[3]. The lower the estimated quantity of a variety coin, the more valuable the coin becomes. Demand is important for the value of variety coins since it is collectors' interest that drives the pricing. Grade is a key part of the value of a variety coin and some variety coins have no value in circulated conditions. We encourage collectors to contact us with questions and comments. Email: [email protected] [1] US Mint [2] US Error Coin Guide 2024 by Stan McDonald [3] PCGS often estimates the percentages of variety coins based on encapsulations.