RWB

Acid.

If you tell us the "error" you saw, members can help you understand what happened and why.

Please, put it back in the roll where it can rest in peace.

Every time the coin is exposed to air, you increase the risk of surface contamination and spotting. Unless there is a compelling reason to tamper with the original container, leave it alone.

Scratched AU. Not worth paying for authentication and grading.

You have a 1914 dated dime made at the Denver Mint. It is one of 11,908,000 produced at that mint in 1914. It has been in limited circulation, that is, not badly worn, but has acquired multiple disfiguring scratches. In my opinion it is too damaged to be authenticated and graded by a third-party grader. If undamaged it would have an approximate retail value of $25.00

I prefer hardcover for 8.5x11-in books. This one has a good "feel" to it. Books that are approx 6x9-in are usually soft cover - largely because the cover boards add too much bulk.

Good price only if your wanted it and knew what you were buying.

1964 "SMS" is/are bologna. They're merely early strikes off new circulation dies - not specially made or anything else.

BIE die breaks were popular 60 years ago, but largely forgotten today. Too many of them and little interest. TPGs charge a separate fee for variety attribution, but Not sure if BIEs are included any longer. In any event you have, at best, a $2 coin in a $35 holder. (The gash behind the bust removes any realistic "MS-66" grade. Value is MS-64 at best....just an opinion.) The coin also changed from 1954-S to 1955-S so that's quite an "error."

They might also have tried pollyanna shapes with little success; also polymorph, polident, polyamorous, and polly-want-a-cracker. Same results. The polly-wolly-doodle-all-the-day shapes were better - at least until sundown.

...can you identify one, and the context?

Here are the chapter titles and abstracts: Dr. Barclay's Experimental Coinage ~ 1832-1876 -- James T. Barclay's experiments at the Philadelphia Mint are mentioned in many coin collectors' books but rarely explained. Who was this enigmatic experimenter and what did he accomplish? Donuts to Dollars ~ 1849-1854 -- An excess of California gold and a shortage of silver encouraged experiments with America's annular gold dollar and half dollar patterns. Examination of Counterfeit or Debased Coins ~ 1860 (by Jacob R. Eckfeldt, William E. Dubois and James B. Longacre) -- During and after Dr. Barclay's experiments at the Philadelphia Mint, it was claimed his ideas were not original and had no influence on Mint experiments. Yet his exposition of problems with adulterated coinage evidently inspired internal examination. Ring Around the Dollar - A Device to Reduce Abrasion ~ 1867 -- Ignatius Sargent and J. S. Getchell assured the mint director that a metal ring would protect gold and silver coins from abrasion. After all, it worded for wooden buttons. Wharton's Folly ~ 1864-1870 -- The Civil War era economy required an unusual decision for United States coinage: should small change be made of high value precious metal, or nearly worthless base alloy? Nickel mine owner Joseph Wharton eagerly promoted his opinion to the Mint Bureau. Prevention of a Fraud Upon Our Gold Coins ~ 1873 (by William E. Dubois) -- Mint Assayer William Dubois examined adulteration of gold coins by filling with platinum. His report discussed detection methods and suggested that thinner coins could reduce the frequency of this fraud. International Coinage ~ 1865-1868 -- From the 1860s through the 1880s, multiple international conferences were held with the goal of rationalizing financial exchanges. This section introduces coin collectors to the purposes for and outcomes of the discussions. The Holey Money of Hall and Johnson ~ 1866-1885 -- Could cutting holes in small denomination coins help alleviate financial inconvenience and loss for much of the working population? Edwin Hall and Eastman Johnson thought they had the answer. Bickford-Dunning Gold Exchange Coin ~ 1874-1877 -- Recent research proves that most of the design and promotion of Dana Bickford's International $10 pattern coin was performed by former New York Assay Office Superintendent George F. Dunning. Louis Garnett, Wheeler Hubbell, and the Goloid Fiasco ~ 1878-1882 -- Goloid and metric coinage alloy patterns are among the most popular and common of all pieces struck as proposed coinage. The entire episode was expensive, disruptive, wasteful and useless. The Cometallic Money Plan ~ 1885-1886 -- Nicholas Veeder was convinced his cometallic money plan would make the word a financial utopia. Few others were similarly persuaded.

Ok....the cicadas are not so tasty -- unless you add that Louisiana hot sauce they slather on "bugs" and other critters.

It refers to a single coin of the stated denomination, rather than several coins that together have the same value. When Spanish/Mexican fractions were circulating it was a request for a single "2 bit" piece (quarter of a peso/dollar) rather than two individual 1/8ths (or 'bits"). In the old usage the implication was that in accepting two 1/8ths, one would receive less silver than in the single quarter of a peso. It was also used for other denominations when a single coin was desired.

Look on-line for another 1923-S dollar and compare photos. There are no significant motto varieties, unless the uneven letter depth of 1926 is considered. There might be some die collapse along the right obverse, but the coin does not have the appearance of a counterfeit.

The photo shows an EF to AU grade coin with some scratches. Not worth the cost of "grading," but a nice keeper or start to a Peace dollar collection. What is the "obvious error" you mentioned?

It means nothing. It is an isolated event related to a coin the government has declared "unique," and supported by millions spent in litigation.

My new book, "Fads, Fakes & Foibles" explains several of the unusual coin configurations considered and tested by the Philadelphia Mint. Check out the thread here, or on the Marketplace forum. The US had a fairly literate society, so there was little need for tactile differences in denominations. The 11- or 12-sided small Ike and Anthony dollars were a solution to a problem that should not have occurred....at urging of vending companies, the small dollar was made too close in size to the quarter thus ensuring pubic confusion at the convenience of a specific industry trade group. Paper bill acceptors and fast credit readers now have made that obsolete.

The coin is a little banged up from scraping against other dollars. It might grade Unc-62 or so. No really worth enough to have it independently graded. What's the story behind the coin?

Heat, oxidation and corrosion. Seawater can do this, too.

Here are some cleaning signs for the next time you buy a coin ----

They are nice medals, although lacking in finesse.

The conservative numismatic approach is to make no change unless it is for improvement. It's a little like the predecessor phrase coined by Thomas Inman in 1860: primum non nocere -- first, do no harm.

What is to be gained by having the coin regraded? Let it sleep where it is unless there is a compelling reason to change.