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Van Buren Edge Errors Reported
 | By Ken Potter, Numismatic News
December 03, 2008 |
Collectors looking for Martin Van Buren dollar error coins have been rewarded. I have a report of a 2008-P Van Buren dollar with a shifted edge inscription and other Van Buren error dollars. This continues a series of errors that began with the Washington coins.
In the July 29 issue of Numismatic News I reported on a shifted edge inscription error found on a George Washington Presidential dollar. I reported upon the error type again in the Aug. 26 issue for the John Adams and James Monroe dollars and then again in the Sept. 23 issue for the Andrew Jackson dollar.
According to U.S. Mint spokesman Michael White, shifted edge inscriptions or what he referred to as a "slippage problem" were a condition that was seen on the 2007 issues of the Presidential dollars caused by the absence of a dot between the mintmark and E PLURIBUS UNUM (EPU) where a wide space sans any inscription occurs.
According to White, a third dot was added between the mintmark and EPU on the 2008 issues to correct this problem (these delimiter dots can also be found after EPU and TRUST on both the 2007 and 2008 issues).
Nonetheless, as I noted in my previous articles, we are seeing these slippage errors on the 2008 issues that are of a prominence equal to those we saw in 2007, despite the addition of this dot. At this point, I have seen all of the 2008 Presidential dollars except the John Q. Adams dollar with this effect.
Garrett Reich of Michigan, e-mailed me on Nov. 13 to report the first one on a Van Buren dollar that I've heard of. He said, "Today, I found a coin with a spacing error that has the word "IN" overlapping the incuse dot." When it got here a few days later I was able to confirm his description. A smeared word "IN" of IN GOD WE TRUST is placed way too far to the left centered on top of the delimiter dot that is normally spaced equidistantly between the end and beginning of the mottoes E PLURIBUS UNUM and IN GOD WE TRUST.
We also see the larger-than-normal gap of space after the word TRUST typically present on these slippage errors.
Another interesting report that came in for the Van Buren dollars is that some exhibit a "P" mintmark with most of the lower leg of the P missing, making the "P" look like a stubby "D," or what some might call a "Peg Leg P." A tiny portion of the leg is present but needs magnification to see. Numismatic News reader, David Kell, of Pennsylvania was the first to make note of this to me and sent images of one of them on Nov. 17. He later revealed that he found about a dozen specimens out of two rolls of the dollars obtained from his local bank.
I was surprised to see that this effect was also present on Reich's coin with the shifted-edge inscription. The entire inscription on his coin is impressed into the edge down toward the obverse rim and may somehow be related to the "Peg Leg P." Some of the other letters show weakness in their lower extremities, suggesting that there may be just enough "slop" in the edge-lettering die setup to allow for some vertical tilt of the die (or edge of the coin) as it imparts the edge inscription to the affected coins.
Kell said that all of the examples he found showed the slightly weaker than normal inscription shifted with the weaker bottoms closer to one rim or the other (obverse or reverse). However, while some of the letters on Reich's coins are weaker at their lower extremities, the date (2008) that precedes the mintmark on his "Peg Leg" specimen is relatively strong throughout (though it is ever so slightly weaker at the bottom).
Additionally, all the other characters that show some weakness are complete and do not show the abrupt truncation of lower areas displayed by the "P" mintmark. Even the lower strokes of letters like the "E" and "U" are present. Thus, this could be the result of a broken letter on the edge-lettering die. If the leg of the "P" broke off the die (which contains raised lettering like on a hub) it would not appear on the coins. More study is needed to determine the cause. Similar effects on coin designs from hub breaks are generally considered minor and often effect large numbers of coins. Time will tell if this is the case with the edge-lettering die in question.
Reich also found a Van Buren dollar with severe "damage" to the rims. It's an effect we've seen on all the Presidential dollars before it, but one I have yet to be able to identify an exact cause for. What is interesting about these is that there are always two areas of "damage" virtually opposing each other at opposite rims. One is always a larger area of damage located wherever the word TRUST appears on the edge, (which is placed on the edge of the coins at random in relation to the obverse and reverse designs since they are force-spun through the edge-lettering machine as they come out of a bin without regard to orientation).
This area always shows shearing of metal up onto either the obverse or reverse as a severe rim burr that often tears the outer manganese-brass layer away from the copper core. While it is always associated with the area of the edge that bears the word TRUST, it may flip-flop, occurring either above or below that word and either on the obverse or reverse.
Almost opposite of this, in the area of the "S" of PLURIBUS will be a flattened series of parallel lines similar to if not identical to the so-called matte-edge finish seen on some 2007-P John Adams dollars that some researchers think might be the result of laser etching on the shoulder of an edge lettering die(s). (This so-called matte-edge shows up on dollars that have been force-spun through an edge-lettering die that was set too tight).
While I do not have a cause for this effect, what can be stated is that it is always consistent in where it is found and in its general characteristics though it can range in degree from moderate to severe. Ongoing research suggests that it occurs during its path through but prior to the coin being fully processed by the edge-lettering machine.
Thus, it is a legitimate minting error, not post-mint damage. I will go into a more detailed report on this error type in the near future showing how the "damaged" areas occur even before some or all of the inscriptions are applied to the coins.
Finally, what is perhaps the most interesting to me (only because I found it) is a 2007-D John Adams dollar with a mottled grayish cast to both the obverse and reverse. Interestingly, the hobby still does not seem to agree on what these discolored dollars represent. Some refer to them as improperly washed, others, such as ANACS, refer to them as "Improperly Mixed Alloy" and still others such as PCGS refer to them as struck on "Sintered Planchets" while NGC calls them "Improperly Annealed Planchets."
Here is a look at one of the dollars that have been found with varying degrees of discoloration.
NGC describes them on their Web site as follows: "A planchet may also pick up a coating if it is improperly annealed. This is a somewhat common error, but one that is very difficult to authenticate. "Improper annealing is often confused with toning coins. Unfortunately, improperly annealed planchets can take on a variety of colors from black to copper red. They are caused by over heating the planchets." None of the other major grading services offer a description of the error that I could find.
The U.S. Mint speculates that the discoloration could be the result of oxidation of the manganese in the coin's alloy. Recent testing by noted hobbyist and metallurgist, Chris Pilliod, appears to confirm the Mint's position. I found this one while counting dollars out of a fresh roll to pay a fellow to do some yard work. If nothing else, the price was right.
Ken Potter is the official attributer of world doubled dies for the Combined Organizations of Numismatic Error Collectors of America and for the National Collectors Association of Die Doubling. He also privately lists other collectible variety types on both U.S. and world coins in the Variety Coin Register. More information on either of the clubs, or how to get a coin listed in the Variety Coin Register may be obtained by sending a long, self-addressed envelope with 58 cents postage to P.O. Box 760232, Lathrup Village, MI 48076, or by contacting him via e-mail at KPotter256@aol.com. An educational image gallery may be viewed on his Web site at www.koinpro.com.
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