Error - 2004d Texas quarter

I found in change yesterday what may be an error coin. I would like to
get other collector's opinions.

The coin in question is a 2004d Texas state quarter, in used condition
but with lots of mint luster yet. I can see several coin dinks on the
surface, so grading the coin AU might be generous.

The first error is located on the obverse (showing the state of Texas).
The error itself is 2 rather obvious pieces of metal apparently fused
during the striking process to the planchet. These metalic "clumps"
stand out from the surface of the coin like Braille letters, and feel
to be higher than the coin rim or any other surface feature of the
coin. While they are both located between the rope and the state
outline on the upper left-hand quadrant of the coin, they are both
closer the the rope near the rim of the coin than the state outline.

The second error appears to be a die break extending from the outline
of Texas near the upper right-hand star ray to the rope. In
re-examining the coin, this break actually appears to extend _across_
the coin, from the rope on the left-hand side through at least part of
the star, the state outline of Texas, and the left-hand side of the
coin to the rope on the left-hand side. This is a very faint line, but
does not appear to be a scratch, and is nearly a straight line. I
cannot see the line extending beyond the rope into the rim, though, on
either side.

Questions:
1) Has anyone else heard or seen such an error?
2) How might this error have occured?
3) Value?

Daniel B. Wheeler

Just looked at coin in slightly lower light. Hairline crack/error does
extend to both rims.

Daniel Bl Wheeler

wrote:

[snip]

The first error is located on the obverse (showing the state of Texas).
The error itself is 2 rather obvious pieces of metal apparently fused
during the striking process to the planchet. These metalic "clumps"
stand out from the surface of the coin like Braille letters, and feel
to be higher than the coin rim or any other surface feature of the
coin.

[snip]

The second error appears to be a die break extending from the outline
of Texas near the upper right-hand star ray to the rope.
[snip]

Questions:
1) Has anyone else heard or seen such an error?
2) How might this error have occured?
3) Value?

1) yes. The entire 1999 series was plagued with die-breaks. The
Delaware and Pennsylvania ones were so dramatic that they immediately
got named (spitting horse, and Keystone, respectively). Die breaks
have been intermittantly reported in the other state quarters since.

2) If the clumps are have a color and/or texture different from the
coin, then they are metal shards that got struck into the coin.
However, if the color and texture are the same as the coin, they are
the results of pits in the die. The line one the obverse is from a
crack in the die which develop over time as they are used from the
stress of the strikes.

3)These are both the most minor and two of the more common errors. In
uncirculated condition they may add a buck or two to the numismatic
value of the coin if they are on the dramatic side. In circulated
condition, the coin might have a collector value of two or three times
face. A dealer probably wouldn't offer you more than face value for
it.

HTH

mark

wrote:

[snip]

The first error is located on the obverse (showing the state of Texas).
The error itself is 2 rather obvious pieces of metal apparently fused
during the striking process to the planchet. These metalic "clumps"
stand out from the surface of the coin like Braille letters, and feel
to be higher than the coin rim or any other surface feature of the
coin.

[snip]

The second error appears to be a die break extending from the outline
of Texas near the upper right-hand star ray to the rope.
[snip]

Questions:
1) Has anyone else heard or seen such an error?
2) How might this error have occured?
3) Value?

1) yes. The entire 1999 series was plagued with die-breaks. The
Delaware and Pennsylvania ones were so dramatic that they immediately
got named (spitting horse, and Keystone, respectively). Die breaks
have been intermittantly reported in the other state quarters since.

2) If the clumps are have a color and/or texture different from the
coin, then they are metal shards that got struck into the coin.
However, if the color and texture are the same as the coin, they are
the results of pits in the die. The line one the obverse is from a
crack in the die which develop over time as they are used from the
stress of the strikes.

3)These are both the most minor and two of the more common errors. In
uncirculated condition they may add a buck or two to the numismatic
value of the coin if they are on the dramatic side. In circulated
condition, the coin might have a collector value of two or three times
face. A dealer probably wouldn't offer you more than face value for
it.

HTH

mark

On 4 Jun 2005 10:51:56 -0700, wrote:

I found in change yesterday what may be an error coin. I would like to
get other collector's opinions.

The coin in question is a 2004d Texas state quarter, in used condition
but with lots of mint luster yet. I can see several coin dinks on the
surface, so grading the coin AU might be generous.

The first error is located on the obverse (showing the state of Texas).
The error itself is 2 rather obvious pieces of metal apparently fused
during the striking process to the planchet. These metalic "clumps"
stand out from the surface of the coin like Braille letters, and feel
to be higher than the coin rim or any other surface feature of the
coin. While they are both located between the rope and the state
outline on the upper left-hand quadrant of the coin, they are both
closer the the rope near the rim of the coin than the state outline.

IANASQC ("I am not a state quarter collector") so please take my
comments with a grain of salt:

This sounds like the classic case of a lamination mint error. With
most coins, this is more detrimental to the value than incremental.
However, if it happens in exactly the same way on more than one coin,
it might be a die variation.

The second error appears to be a die break extending from the outline
of Texas near the upper right-hand star ray to the rope. In
re-examining the coin, this break actually appears to extend _across_
the coin, from the rope on the left-hand side through at least part of
the star, the state outline of Texas, and the left-hand side of the
coin to the rope on the left-hand side. This is a very faint line, but
does not appear to be a scratch, and is nearly a straight line. I
cannot see the line extending beyond the rope into the rim, though, on
either side.

If the line is raised (possibly visible under greater magnification),
then it is probably a die crack. If incuse (i.e. opposite of raised),
it is more likely to be a scratch. However, scratches tend to run in
very straight lines, whereas die cracks can also be curved. Since you
say it is "nearly a straight line", I'd want to look at it under
magnification (10x or greater).

Questions:
1) Has anyone else heard or seen such an error?
2) How might this error have occured?
3) Value?

Daniel B. Wheeler


--
Bob Hairgrove

Thanks for the reply, Bob. It appears to be "ruler straight" in both
cases. After finding the Texas quarter, I checked some of my other
quarters. I found a similar line, even more visible, on a 2005d
Minnesota quarter.

Your idea regarding a scratch is well taken. But the features
superimposed on it don't match.

On the Texas quarter, the line extends from rim to rim, across the
upper portion of one arm of the star, across the state of Texas, and
seems to run uninterrupted, even across the edges of Texas, the star,
or the rope border. Yet the line is nearly invisible. Under the wrong
light, it blends into the background and is undetectable. Under the
right lighting (indirect, subdued lighting) the line is visible to me
only because I marked it on the 2x2 I have it stored in.

What really blew me away was finding _another_ quarter, the 2005d
Minnesota, which had an even more pronounced straight line, but
oriented in a different direction (mostly North-South instead of
East-West on the Texas quarter).

I suppose this is possible if there were a lamination, or joining, of 2
different sheets of metal. It really is nearly invisible, though.

Daniel B. Wheeler

Excellent points, Mark. In fact, I have purchased several "die-break"
varieties on Ebay just to compare with other coins I either have
already found or anticipate finding in the future. Most of those breaks
are rather short, and fairly easy to identify, i.e. the Minnesota "Fish
On" or California varieties.

I'm strongly leaning toward sending the coins into ANASC or NCG.
Mostly, I'm interested to see if they can see the same error.

Daniel B. Wheeler