Is this an error?

[zechariahbendovid]

I found this Washington quarter that has a deep circular gash from Washington's forehead down the side.

 

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[Joshr29]

This is my very first stab at answering an error coin question but I thinks it happens post mint. Don't bank on that though. Hopefully someone will confirm I'm right soon or they will let me know I'm an idiot. Fingers crossed.

 

[zechariahbendovid]

I had a friend look at it who has a lot of knowledge regarding error coins but is by no means an expert look at it, and he said it was an error called "striations," but I'm a greenhorn still trying to learn what all these errors look like. I love coin roll hunting, but the finding precious metals part is where my passion lies. I'd rather go through rolls rather quickly looking at dates and giving it a quick once-over to make sure there aren't any huge errors, but it would take more time than anyone has to go over all my coins with a fine toothed comb, especially since I specialize in copper, and even when you do find an error penny, the majority are only worth $2-$5. I'm willing to let a few of those slip through my fingers while I put together lots of pre '82 copper to sell on eBay, and pre made Lincoln penny sets that I can also sell for a premium on eBay to people that want the coins but don't want to do the collecting. I do keep 83's 94's and a few other years to look at more closely. A few 83 pennies slipped into circulation that were accidentally made on the copper blanks from 82 and are worth 15k in circulated condition. All you gotta do is weigh em. A clad penny weighs 2.5 grams and a copper penny weighs 3.11. A scale is a necessity with pennies, especially because there were both clad and copper pennies minted in 82, and as with the 83's, weighing it is really the only way to tell. Although if you pull an '82 out of circulation and it's still shiny and new looking it's more than likely clad. Plenty of exceptions though. I pulled a '77 penny out of a roll today that was shiny and new enough looking that it could easily be from the mid 90's-early 00's. The edges on a copper penny usually give it away too, but clad can develop a hell of a patina as well.

 

[Joshr29]

Thanks for that cent info. I'm with you on the error searching. I only made it about a 1/4 way through my first dime box before I put that mess behind me. Props to the guys/girls that always do it though. That's patience at it's best IMO. I guess I am gonna start setting some dates aside though now that I'm finding out there are a few "game changers" that I could stumble on.

 

[jasper62]

It's Post Mint Damage from a coin sorting machine such as coin star,Vending machine,bank sorting machine etc etc

 

[Generic_Lad]

I agree that it is counting machine damage. You see those pretty often, the key is the circular or semi circular scratches.

 

[zechariahbendovid]

@Joshr, I bought a box of pennies yesterday, I'm only 5 rolls in, have at least 20 pre-82's, including 2 1941 wheat pennies, and 3 off center strikes already on eBay. They don't fetch huge money, but it's all profit, and a lot of times you can get a premium from bidders in rural areas with no coin shop nearby who want to pique their kids or grandkids interest in coin collecting without spending a ton.

 

[Joshr29]

@Joshr, I bought a box of pennies yesterday, I'm only 5 rolls in, have at least 20 pre-82's, including 2 1941 wheat pennies, and 3 off center strikes already on eBay. They don't fetch huge money, but it's all profit, and a lot of times you can get a premium from bidders in rural areas with no coin shop nearby who want to pique their kids or grandkids interest in coin collecting without spending a ton.

I agree with you that it makes more since financially to date check all the time and i always check every bit of change that i get back. I've probably let a nice handful of MWR errors slip by. I guess I don't check my boxes because I only do dimes and I have huge clumsy hands (size 12 wedding ring) so when you combine those I'm hopeless lol. I did make an extra jar for my copper cents last week but that's gonna be a slow one too since they are only being picked out of my pocket change.

 

[zechariahbendovid]

Does anyone know if broken off mint marks on quarters that don't have the circular coin machine damage marks are pre or post mint damage or worth anything? I have a few of those. Seems to be the late 70's quarters and it looks like a P with the top cut off, but completely missing as if it was never there.

 

[drcaulfield]

That circular damage is caused by the rolling machine it was a end doing at one time

 

[zechariahbendovid]

@Joshr, they're coming out of the rolls at a rate of almost 10% pre-82, not including the errors. If this rate keeps up I should be able to get enough pre-82's to sell in a lot on eBay just out of this one box. So you get the money for the copper, there are far more errors than any other denominations, and the clad just goes back in the bank. Mine will take change back without a charge in increments of under $200 for free, and if yours won't, switch banks. The quarters seemed to be pretty much picked through(10+ rolls=0 pre '64's for me,) nobody seems to have half dollars(where the REAL money is,) and I haven't had any more luck with dimes. Plus with dimes you need 14 to make an oz of silver as opposed to 8 quarters. I'm mostly stuck with copper because I'm severely disabled and fighting cancer, and I only make $700 a month on SSI, so I can't really afford to tie that much money up in change. I suppose I could get a box or two of quarters or dimes and go through them all and return them in the 5 day grace period I have before I have to pay my rent lol, but that would be a big pain in the ass, and considering my mostly sedentary in front of the TV lifestyle, taking my time going through copper works for me. It's like playing $1 scratch-its for free all day. You're not likely to make more than $3-500 for most of your best finds, but like I said earlier, there are huge exceptions to that. If you ever do get into copper, a scale is pretty mandatory. Some 82's are clad, and those 83's accidentally struck on copper blanks are worth 15k. Always weigh 82's and 83's. Copper=3.11 grams, clad=2.5 grams. Sometimes really old copper will lose a point or two due to wear, but you'll never find clad that weighs 2.6 unless your scale needs to be recalibrated.

 

[Joshr29]

Forget the coins I am really really sorry to here about the cancer. I'm still having some pretty bad days since I lost my Mom to that freakin stuff over a year ago. I'll be pulling for you every day from here on out. Keep on posting here and thinking positive and beat the hell outta that stuff for yourself and all the rest of us please.

 

[zechariahbendovid]

It's actually the second time I've had it in 10 months. I had colon cancer, and found out I have a rare genetic disorder called Lynch Syndrome. My body doesn't see cancer cells as bad things that my immune system needs to destroy. A normal person develops a cancer cell or two and their body can fight it off. Not mine. They told me I have an 80% chance of the colon cancer returning within 5 years, and that's where my oncologist thought it had returned, but I had my YEARLY colonoscopy 2 days ago and my gastroenterologist didn't find anything. So now I need to have a CT Scan on the 26th to see if the oncologist can spot a tumor somewhere else, because the clean colonoscopy doesn't explain why the tumor markers (detectors of cancerous activity. I'm no expert) in my blood have shot up in the last month. Normally though with lynch syndrome, if you survive it for long enough it goes from the colon to the liver, the liver to the stomach, stomach to lungs, lungs to heart, and heart to brain. I'm 28 by the way. That's what I get to look forward to for however long G-D(I'm Jewish) gives me lol. My oncologist has only ever seen one other lynch case though, and she was a 22 year old girl who died by 25. So the suffering should really only be for another 2-5 years. I just wish i made more than $700 a month so I could spend my time doing the things I love instead of picking through boxes of pennies hoping I hit the jackpot. And what is the jackpot worth anyway? You can't take it with you. I guess it'd make a nice start to a college fund for my sisters.

 

[huntsman53]

Does anyone know if broken off mint marks on quarters that don't have the circular coin machine damage marks are pre or post mint damage or worth anything? I have a few of those. Seems to be the late 70's quarters and it looks like a P with the top cut off, but completely missing as if it was never there.

The Die was probably clogged with grease in that area of the Mint Mark! A Washington Quarter with such a minor error is only worth a Quarter. Sorry!


Frank