Not being a serious coin collector (though I do have a bunch), I have never looked into the proper storage and grading. Now, my interest is starting to peak after perusing this site. I have what I would call an "error coin" that my dad gave me a few years back. He got it back in change from a purchase. It is a very lightly stamped quarter. I tried for an hour to get a good clear photo for display here and never ended up with what I wanted. Here is the best I could do. I am pretty sure the date is 1994. The reverse side is blank with nothing discernible. How common are these? Greg
wow! is that ever strange! the field looks to smooth to be struck through grease, but i could be wrong. Could it just be wear - someone keeping it in a pocket for some time? The reeds onthe edge look sharp still ...
It definitely is not a wear issue. The reeding is very crisp and sharp. The edge rim is much higher than the center of each side. Greg
I agree with Greg Based on the callers and Reeds, They are very clear and because of that I would say the coin looks like it has not seen much circulation. Indeed a very odd one for sure. Im guessing if its not something someone did with a drill and a steel brush of some sort then you have your self a very nice something there. lol
I can see no evidence of any machine marks. The surfaces are very shiny and there are no striation or swirl marks visible,...even under a 10x loupe. It just looks to be an extremely light stamp on the Washington side. The reverse is totally blank. The "P" mint mark show up pretty good. Greg
Very interesting indeed. My guess is it is either struck through grease or a weak strike. But a weak strike would also mean the reeding should be weak, right? I am sure one of the error experts here can enlighten us about this coin.
I tried something different with these pix. I photographed through a large magnifying glass and then used "Auto Correct" so these are "doctored" photos in hopes you can see it a little better. Greg
Greg: I am sure that Mike Diamond could tell immediately, but, my two cents: possibly a set up strike (to test the pressure). If so, there is some value, but I am not sure how much. Question: how is the rim? worn away? or still very clear? or?
Treashunt, The rim looks like a new coin. I'm the farthest thing from being knowledgeable about coins but I'd call it very clear. I don't believe there is any wear anywhere. Greg
The reeding is quite strong, so it's not a weak strike. I would venture that it was struck through heavy grease on both faces, heavy enough on the reverse face to obliterate all details. The obverse certainly looks like a grease strike. I have one Connecticut quarter in my collection struck through such heavy grease on both faces that very little of the design is discernible on either face. So these things do happen, albeit rarely. It's a nice find.
Thank you Mike,.... I'm a great one for finding questions in answers and since I don't know anything about Mint production,... how does a blob of grease get between the die and the blank? I would think the grease would spray all over making quite a mess in the stamping process. Does this heavy grease strike do anything to the die? I have visions of a bright shiny clean stamp process where grime is kept to a minimum. I guess I should tour a Mint sometime. Thanks again for your expertise Greg
I have to say I really like that coin. I had a feeling It was struck though grease. But that head on of the obverse confirms it for me. Very nice find indeed.
Think again. The Mint is nothing more than a factory, the only difference being their product is coins. Yes, a Mint tour is very educational.
I suppose it could come from any number of sources. In one series of grease-struck cents I assembled and verified on the basis of die markers, the grease accumulated gradually during the press run. I don't know if it was picked up from oily planchets or if it dribbled down the die shaft from the die assembly. If you handle drums filled with discarded dies or mint bags filled with new cents, your hands get dirty and greasy. I figure just about everything is lubricated in and around a press.
