Error Other | Die scratch or something else ? So much to learn with coins...

[Guest]

I am trying to understand how to tell the difference between a die scratch and some other type of damage.

To me it seems these scratches run under the #9 and they happened at the mint, am I close or somewhere out in left field with my thoughts ?

[Antiquity]

Polish lines/scratches made at the mint. You were right.

[onecent1909]

Agreed... you are right...
the die has all the design and letters and numbers sunk into the die... this way when the coins are struck the metal flows into the design.... the flat field on a coin is the area that one would touch first when touching a coin when the mint polishes a coin....the polish touches the flat feild of the die first... the polish lines do go under the 9... because the field is what would be polished...

[CoinDigger]

Thank you for replying.

Well if I can let me ask this about what makes a coin more unique then the next.

For example I picked a Radom coin off Wexler’s website and for fun let’s say this coin is worth $50,000.00.

It seems that the majority of coins that most people want or are willing to pay top dollar for are the ones that are tagged as or referenced as “Double Die”. (I am aware that there are other coins that are wanted as well like low population etc…)

1973-S 1¢ WDDO-001 (Random coin I picked for my question)


Now under this coin Wexler has 3 different errors listed.
1. DDO in the center of the “3” in the date.
2. A die crack that runs through Abe’s hair
3. Then on the reverse he has die scratches listed running through the “O” and “N”.

Is it all 3 of these errors that make this coin the “1973-S DDO-001” or is it just the first one where he mentions the doubling under the # “3” in the date?

If it is only the first error listed then what would a coin like this be classified as if it only had the die crack running through the hair?
Or what would it be classified as if it only had error #3, the die scratches running the reverse?

My reason for asking is this. I have read that new errors are discovered from time to time and I am trying to understand what error or group of errors would make a coin more unique then the next one, or could make it a coin that would make the “Cherry Pickers List” etc… ?

[Scott99]

The doubling of the 3 would be referred to as a die-variety and labeled as a doubled die... the die scratch and die crack are used as die markers to correctly identify the die-variety. The scratches and cracks are the normal result of die deterioration and polishing throughout the life of the die. The doubling on the 3 will be on every coin minted from that particular die while the die scratches, cracks, or clashes will change drastically between the very early die-state (VEDS) and the very late die-state(VLDS). The die-state determines how "new" the die was when it minted the coin you're observing.

[onecent1909]

sometimes it is hard to ID a coin as being wddo die ?

example... 1972 ddos
there are more than 12 different dies that are doubled...most people would like 1 of each die #1 to #9
the markers (little imperfections in the dies (cracks,polish lines, gouges, dents, etc)) can help in IDing which die you are looking at... there might be a 1973 s ddo die 2 or 3 that would not have the same markers.. but may also have a doubling on the 3

[willbrooks]

Just wanted to point out that EVERY 1973 cent has a split in the middle of the 3. It is a master die doubling, so be careful trying to ID this variety. I don't think I have ever even seen a picture of it.

[mustbebob]

CoinDigger, those are some very valid questions. I would like to suggest that you read up on the die making and striking process. This will give you a lot of the information you seek. We will be happy to fill in all the blanks after that, but understanding the process is critical to this hobby.