[Example] Incomplete Punch

[jcuve]

I have shot George's 1969-D Incomplete Punch. I have included an assortment of detail shots.

My shots show that the surface is undistorted and the coin is flat. Both sides show the punch marks. Punch marks are visible on the sides of the coin (partially on the reverse side). Punch marks are present at a noticeable depth of the coin. Parts of the design that are missing (where the planchet was punched), are not squished into the recessed areas indicating post strike damage. The missing area of the planchet appears pre-strike, as the design shows metal flow toward the thin incomplete area. The incomplete punch matches the circumference of a cent.

Thanks for sending the coin George.

[cimperialis]

Awesome photos, Jason. Another great example thread to refer back to. One question- when you say it matches the circumference of a cent, you do mean a blank planchet, right? Just trying to clarify.

[Roller]

Awesome photos Jason (as usual). Thanks for posting this with illustrations. Certainly a good tutorial. George

[simonm]

Great pictures as always Jason and congrats to George for this cool find!

[Maineman750]

Nice pics Jason.....Ray Parkhurst better watch out

[jcuve]

Thanks everyone. I had fun shooting this coin.

[liveandievarieties]

That's a really rare error, I think most of us know that from our volume of searching. Great photos Jason, you really have a knack for highlighting the educational details. Thank you.

[Tucker2000]

Great photo of the coin and a nice cent it is. Would like to have that in my collection . Thanks for your lesson.
Johnny

[jcuve]

These are very rare. The only way I'll see another is if one is sent to me for verification or I buy one. I don't expect to find one searching...

[Roller]

These are very rare. The only way I'll see another is if one is sent to me for verification or I buy one. I don't expect to find one searching...

I did not find it in a roll either Jason. I bought a small collection of "wheats" from the local craigslist ($27 for $125). It is 90% wheat but there are some Memorials (I'm going through them slowly. Wheats drive me nuts.) This one was in a tube marked "damaged cents". I love the hunt for these reasons.

[Chugly]

Awesome photo's Jason! I was lucky to catch George's initial posting of this coin and thought that he might have found an incomplete punch at the time. Unfortunately, I wasn't real confident in saying what I was looking at then. Now, thanks to you, I will recognize another one in an instant thanks to your photo tutorial. Too bad it may take me searching millions cents to have any hope of ever seeing one again.

Anyone what to speculate on a value for this coin? I initially thought around $200, but I'm thinking way more than that now.

[jcuve]

I was told it was rare, but not coveted. Something like $65-100.

[Roller]

I agree with Chugly (of course I am biased). At the same time, Jason is probaly right about the lack of interest in this type of error at this time.

Looking at it objectively, though, "very rare" and "$100" is an oxymoron that I can't get my mind around.

1-The coin is unique and has been sitting in a tube probably since the year of mintage. (The person I bought the lot from started collecting some 50 years past, quit about 10 years later, and put the collection in storage.) None other has surfaced, that we know of, in the interim.
2- The error is severe. It is not just a barely visible line as it is with some others I have seen. There is probably no more than a mm keeping it from being perforated at its deepest crevice.
3- I have not seen any Lincoln cent with this kind of error. ( I did not even know about it until Chugly pointed it out but I have been trying to gather information ever since.)
4- The coin is in decent shape for its age.

All of that adds up to this coin going into the bank box not to see the light of day again until there is a market that appreciates it. (Maybe there never will be one.)
Just my humble opinion.

[Maineman750]

I feel your disappointment George...but rare doesn't equate to demand...but nothing wrong with putting it back and hoping that changes one day .

[jcuve]

There is line between errors that sell for over, let's say $200, and those that don't. Some of them seem like they should sell for higher. Recently I saw a decent weak strike sell for under $30 - a counterbrockage under $60 and a double struck rotated in collar for $100. All slabbed. All are naked eye obvious, rare errors. On the flip side, an actual die cap, a double denomination, a triple struck coin and a foldover strike will go way further than $200.

Maybe certain errors just need more exposure? Or we need to try and create more error collectors?