Error Coins & Die Varieties
The doubled dies, overdates and minting mistakes that make ordinary-looking coins valuable, with clear steps to identify each one and tell it from damage.
Cents
1955 Doubled Die Lincoln Cent
Doubled die obverse
1969-S Doubled Die Lincoln Cent
Doubled die obverse
1972 Doubled Die Lincoln Cent
Doubled die obverse
1983 Doubled Die Reverse Lincoln Cent
Doubled die reverse
1984 Doubled Ear Lincoln Cent
Doubled die obverse
1995 Doubled Die Lincoln Cent
Doubled die obverse
1992 Close AM Lincoln Cent
Reverse design variety
1999 Wide AM Lincoln Cent
Reverse design variety
1960 Small Date Lincoln Cent
Date size variety
1970-S Small Date Lincoln Cent
Date size variety
1982 Cents: Small Date, Large Date, Copper and Zinc
Date size and metal varieties
Nickels
Dimes
Quarters
2004-D Wisconsin Extra Leaf Quarter
Die gouge or added detail
2005-P Kansas "In God We Rust" Quarter
Struck-through grease
1999-P Delaware "Spitting Horse" Quarter
Die crack
2005-P Minnesota Doubled Die Quarter
Doubled die reverse
1965 Silver Quarter (Transitional Error)
Wrong planchet
1937 Doubled Die Obverse Washington Quarter
Doubled die obverse
Half Dollars
Dollar Coins
Error coins in our catalog
- 1922 "No D" Lincoln Cent
- 1943 Copper (Bronze) Penny
- 1943-D Copper (Bronze) Penny
- 1943-S Copper (Bronze) Penny
- 1944 Steel Penny
- 1944-D/S Lincoln Cent
- 1944-D Steel Penny
- 1944-S Steel Penny
- 1974 Aluminum Cent (Pattern)
- 1974-D Aluminum Cent (Pattern)
- 1982 Zinc Lincoln Cent
- 1982-W Zinc Lincoln Cent
- 1982-D Zinc Lincoln Cent
Types of minting errors
Die
Doubled Die
A doubled die is a die that received two slightly misaligned impressions from the hub when it was made.
Striking
Machine Doubling (Strike Doubling)
Machine doubling happens when a loose die bounces or twists slightly as it strikes the coin, smearing the design.
Striking
Off-Center Strike
An off-center coin was struck when the planchet was not centered between the dies, so part of the design is missing and part of the blank shows.
Striking
Broadstrike
A broadstrike is a coin struck without the collar that normally holds the planchet and forms the edge.
Planchet
Clipped Planchet
A clipped planchet coin is missing a curved or straight piece of its edge because the blank was cut from an overlapping or incomplete section of metal strip.
Die
Die Crack and Die Break (Cud)
As dies wear, they crack.
Die
Die Clash
A die clash happens when the obverse and reverse dies strike each other with no planchet between them.
Striking
Struck-Through Error
A struck-through error occurs when something sits between the die and the planchet during the strike.
Planchet
Wrong Planchet Error
A wrong planchet error is a coin struck on a blank meant for another denomination or alloy, such as a cent struck on a dime planchet or a 1943 cent struck on a bronze blank.
Planchet
Lamination Error
A lamination error is a flake or peel in the coin's surface caused by impurities or gas trapped in the metal.
Die
Repunched Mint Mark (RPM)
Until the early 1990s, mint marks were punched into each working die by hand.
Die
Overdate
An overdate shows one date punched or hubbed over another, usually because the Mint reused a die from the previous year.
Planchet
Missing Clad Layer
Clad dimes, quarters and halves have copper-nickel layers bonded to a copper core.
Striking
Brockage
A brockage is a coin that shows a mirror-image, incuse design on one side.
Die
Missing Mint Mark
A missing mint mark error occurs when the mint mark was left off a die that should have had one, or was filled with grease during striking.
After minting
Post-Mint Damage (Not an Error)
Most "errors" sent to dealers are actually damage that happened after the coin left the Mint.
How varieties get their catalog numbers
Most die varieties are known by numbers from standard references. Early large cents use Sheldon numbers from William H. Sheldon's work. Early half dollars use Overton numbers and early quarters use Browning numbers. Morgan and Peace dollar varieties are listed as VAM numbers, named for Leroy Van Allen and A. George Mallis. Many modern varieties are listed in the Cherrypickers' Guide, whose FS numbers often appear on certified holders.
When you think you have found a variety, compare it with the photographs and die markers for its listed number. Die markers are small, permanent features such as a die scratch, a polishing line or a crack that appear on every coin from that die. A real variety shows the same markers as the reference coin.
Why strong doubled dies are rarer now
Older dies were made by pressing the hub into the die several times, with reheating between blows. Any shift between blows could create a doubled die. During the 1990s and 2000s the Mint moved to single-squeeze hubbing, where a die gets its design in one press, which removed the main cause. Dramatic doubled dies like the 1955 and 1972 cents are therefore much less likely on new coins.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an error and a variety?
An error is a one-off mistake during striking, such as an off-center strike, so every error coin is different. A variety comes from a die that was itself different, such as a doubled die, so every coin from that die shows the same feature.
How do I find error coins in my change?
Start with the dates on this page, use a 5x to 10x loupe and good light and weigh anything that looks unusual. Most apparent errors turn out to be damage, so learn the signs on our post-mint damage page.
Where can I get an error coin authenticated?
The major grading services, PCGS and NGC, authenticate and attribute errors and die varieties. Many varieties are listed by their reference numbers, so ask for attribution when you submit.
What is a VAM variety?
A VAM is a listed die variety of a Morgan or Peace dollar, named for researchers Leroy Van Allen and A. George Mallis who cataloged them.
What is a die marker?
A die marker is a small permanent feature of a die, such as a scratch or crack, that appears on every coin it struck and helps identify a variety.