Sandon

The 2023 "Redbook" lists a typical multiple strike on a clad Roosevelt dime at $65. This coin is likely more valuable, as it shows three clearly separate strikes with legible dates and mint marks, but I would be very cautious about considering spending anything like $3,000--or even $1,000--for it. As @Fenntucky Mike suggests, I would consult auction records for similar coins, which can be found on both the PCGS and NGC websites. It appears that this is the coin shown in Mike's post. PCGS certificate verification matches the description on the holder but, as with most non-"Gold Shield" PCGS holders, there is no photo to match. https://www.pcgs.com/cert/21728804. I reiterate that this is not an item that a novice collector should rush out to buy.

The correct terminology would be triple struck, not "stamped." Without photos or information as to the asking price, we can't answer your question about this particular coin, but I will answer in more general terms. Multiple struck coins are frequently faked by techniques ranging from squeezing genuine coins together in a vice to the multiple striking of outright counterfeits. Unless you have adequate knowledge of the minting process and in distinguishing genuine from fake pieces, you should not even consider buying such a coin unless it has been duly authenticated and encapsulated in the holder of a reputable third-party grading service such as NGC, PCGS or ANACS. Even if it is genuine, it is difficult to value such a piece, as no two are alike. The amount knowledgeable error collectors will pay depends on the type of coin, its condition, and how "spectacular" the error is. The 2023 (last year's) "Redbook" lists multiple struck coins by type, with typical values ranging from $40 for copper-plated zinc (1982 or later) Lincoln cent to $5,000 for a silver dollar. If you are a new collector, you really should first be learning the basics of U.S. coins, such as their history and types; which dates, mints, and major varieties are rare, and how to grade and otherwise evaluate them. Mint errors have traditionally been the specialty of a select group of advanced collectors. The "rarest" coins would generally be considered to be not mint errors but such pieces as the 1913 Liberty nickel (five struck) or the 1894-S dime (ten or so known to exist out of 24 struck). These sell for millions of dollars each, so very few collectors can even hope to own any of them. You will find much more enjoyment from learning about and collecting more affordable and typical pieces than aiming for such "unicorns". What books and other resources do you have or consult to learn about coins?

Merchants' counterstamps are common on nineteenth century U.S. coins and are avidly collected by some. I don't know what the law was at that time relating to this practice, but I do know that half cents and large cents were not legal tender--they were issued for convenience--and could be lawfully refused as payment. However, these counterstamps are also found on silver and occasionally even gold coins.

@edhalbrook--All of the 1976-S silver clad pieces are Variety 1, and they were issued both as uncirculated sets in soft plastic sheets inside an envelope that was usually red and as proofs sets with the individual coins in removeable hard plastic capsules housed in a folding holder as shown in @J P M's photo earlier in this topic. The mint issued some of the uncirculated sets in a Christmas themed envelope (white with red printing) depicting Independence Hall, and there may have been some other variants. The uncirculated set also came with a cardboard display folder into which one could insert the soft plastic sheet containing the coins. Regular 1975 proof sets contained copper-nickel clad Variety 1 proof Bicentennial Eisenhower dollars, while regular 1976 proof sets contained copper-nickel clad Variety 2 proof Bicentennial Eisenhower dollars. 1971 and 1972 circulation issue Eisenhower dollars are extremely common and should be obtainable at coin shows and shops. The 1972 Philadelphia issue has three reverse variants, one of which, the Variety 2, is considered scarce. Yes, the 1973 issues all came in the various collectors' sets, but some have been removed from those sets and are sold as individual coins.

Welcome to the NGC chat board. As one who has collected coins for over fifty years and has been buying collectors' issues from the U.S. Mint since 1975, I continue to be befuddled by the preoccupation of contemporary collectors with breaking such issues out of their usually attractive mint sealed packaging, which accounted for part of the mint issue price, and submitting them to grading services to see whether any of them receive a grade of "70", a concocted grade (no flaws visible under low magnification) that, in my opinion, is just a marketing gimmick. Not only are such coins protected by the mint packaging but can be much more compactly stored, especially those in capsules, than in heavy, bulky grading service holders. If this trend continues, the coins that remain in their original packaging will become scarce and may someday sell for a premium over those in grading service holders.

1860 Indian cent, now NGC graded MS 62: @Henri Charriere--I don't give photo credit where, as here, I took the photos.

This is clearly an "Old" or "Veiled" head of Queen Victoria of the type used from 1893 to 1901 (KM# 779) and not the much lower mintage final "Jubilee" head issue of 1893 (KM# 760). NGC should classify this as a "Mechanical Error" that can be returned at any time for correction at no charge, although you may have to pay the cost of getting it to them. NGC’s Mechanical Errors / Returns Policy | NGC (ngccoin.com). As it would be embarrassing to NGC and possibly lead to a Guarantee claim (which would likely be denied) if this coin were offered and purchased by someone as a Veiled Head at a high price, I would contact NGC before returning it and see if they would cover the cost of return shipping. A dealer I know told me that some years ago he submitted an ordinary 1839 Capped Bust, reeded edge half dollar to PCGS that PCGS mistakenly labeled as the very rare and valuable Small Letters reverse variety. He told me that PCGS rewarded him with several hundred dollars in grading credits for his honesty in returning it. This is a good example of why collectors need to learn about the coins they collect and not rely on what is printed on grading service labels.

This issue may be impossible to resolve, not only because most of the unworn surviving examples of these coins are imprisoned in grading service holders and not available to weigh but also because the legal weight tolerances for each of the coins at the old and new standards for each denomination overlap. Per my 1984 edition Coin World Almanac (p.347), the applicable weight standards and resulting pertinent minimum and maximum weights are as follows: Dime: 1853-73 standard 2.488 grams, tolerance 0.032 gram, resulting in legal weights of 2.456 to 2.520 grams. 1873-1964 standard 2.500 grams, tolerance 0.097 gram, resulting in legal weights of 2.403 to 2.597 grams. Quarter dollar: 1853-73 standard 6.221 grams, tolerance 0.065 gram, resulting in legal weights of 6.156 to 6.286 grams. 1873-1947 standard 6.250 grams, tolerance of 0.097 gram, resulting in legal weights of 6.153 to 6.347 grams. Half dollar: 1853-73 standard 12.441 grams, tolerance 0.097 gram, resulting in legal weights of 12.344 to 12.538 grams. 1873-1947 standard 12.500 grams, tolerance of 0.097 gram, resulting in legal weights of 12.403 to 12.597 grams. Presumably, the 1873 dimes, quarters, and half dollars without arrows, whether with "closed" or "open" 3s in the dates were coined before the 1873 legislation took effect and those with arrows at each side of the date, all of which have open 3s, were coined thereafter, the arrows being intended to indicate their issuance under the new standard. However, the mint could legally have used any old standard dime or quarter planchets and any old standard half dollar planchets that weighed at least 12.344 grams to coin the pieces with arrows as well. Even if a meaningful sample of unworn 1873 closed 3, open 3, and with arrows coins could be weighed, the results would likely be ambiguous.

If you're looking for gold content rather than numismatic value, understand that for the bullion coins the smaller the coin the higher the premium over its gold value. The price of gold would have to go up to $3,680 per troy ounce before the bullion value of the Mexican 1/20-ounce coin would equal what you paid for it. I'd prefer a lightly circulated U.S. quarter eagle (about 1/8 ounce) or, if you are willing to go to $600 or so, a Liberty head half eagle (about 1/4 ounce). A quarter ounce uncirculated American Eagle gold bullion coin, which has $482.04 in gold content at last week's final price, might also be a possibility if you are willing to exceed the $500 amount by a bit. As all gold coins are subject to being counterfeited, and as you are a new collector, I recommend that any gold coin you decide to purchase be third-party certified.

1885-S Morgan dollar, PCGS graded MS 62 in an old green label holder.

The last silver clad issue is the 1976. Copper-nickel clad pieces were made for circulation at both Philadelphia and Denver and as proofs at San Francisco in both 1977 and 1978 with the original design. (See the "Redbook".) All of the silver clad coins in the blue envelopes are in "mint shape" in the sense that they are uncirculated. They didn't receive the special handling that proofs did and were allowed to hit each other as they fell from the press and then may have been in contact with each other in bags until they were packaged in the plastic sheets. Therefore, they tend to have noticeable abrasions and bagmarks and receive lower numerical grades at grading services. The 1972-S silver clad uncirculated coins tend to be the best quality and the 1971-S the worst. Uncirculated coin ("mint") sets of 1971 and 1972 didn't contain Eisenhower dollars. Dealers and collectors obtained them as single coins, rolls and mint bags from banks. Mint sets of 1973-78 included the Philadelphia and Denver mint circulation issues. The 1973 "P" and "D" coins were only issued in the mint sets. All of the 1976 dated Bicentennial Eisenhower dollars in the 1975 mint sets are "Variety 1", while all of those in the 1976 mint sets are "Variety 2".

For several decades there have been coin dealers who have had the notion that they could get collectors of other things (art, antiques, baseball cards, comic books, etc.) to collect coins if they just found the "right way" to market them to these collectors. Because some of these items are graded on a ten-point scale, they tried doing this for coins. What they don't understand is that what a person likes to collect is an individual taste. One is either interested in coins--or certain coins--or isn't. Now, some people may be stuck with modern coins in holders with grades that are unintelligible to most collectors. The product might have been more acceptable if the grade were expressed in adjectival terms and "Sheldon scale" numbers as well as the NGCX scale.

We need photos, of course, to provide opinions. The photos should be cropped views of each side of the coin and, if necessary, close-ups of the areas you think display a doubled die.

Welcome to the NGC chat board. For Roosevelt dimes such as your coin, the terminology is "Full Torch" (FT). The terms "Full Bands" (FB) or sometimes "Full Split Bands" (FSB) apply to "Mercury" dimes. See Learn Grading: What Are Full Bands and Full Torch? | NGC (ngccoin.com). For a fuller explanation of NGC's requirements for the FT designation and better photos, see Full Torch Designation Defined | NGC (ngccoin.com). PCGS standards may differ. Because of the nicks that interrupt the splits in the bands, especially the band at the bottom of the torch, this coin may not qualify for the FT designation. It is likely a case of "close but no cigar".

1880 Liberty Seated half dollar, NGC graded PF 62 in an older holder: Photos courtesy of Stacks Bowers Galleries.

In all likelihood the delays at both NGC and PCGS are largely due to a combination of bulk submissions of modern collectors' issues and bullion coins by dealers and submissions of low value coins that aren't worth the cost of certification by new or uneducated collectors. In each case the fault is ultimately that of collectors who believe that all of their coins must be third-party graded and refuse to collect them in mint packaging, coin albums, or other appropriate holders. The grading services make money from such submissions and have no incentive to discourage them.

Due to the amount of wear on this 1946-D cent--the obverse is worn to Very Fine or so, with surface damage--it would be difficult to determine whether the weaker reverse is the result of a filled die--generally considered a minor error--or from damage in the form of abrasion such as the reverse having been partly planed off. Even if the weakness of the reverse originated at the mint, this would not be considered a mint error of the sort that would have anywhere near sufficient value to justify the cost of third-party certification, which, assuming that you are already a paid NGC member with submission privileges and submit it yourself, would cost a $23 grading fee (Economy tier), $18 error attribution fee that NGC would retain even if the coin is not attributable as a mint error, $10 order processing fee, and $28 return shipping fee, totaling $79, not including your own cost of shipment to NGC--for a coin worth at most a few dollars if it is an error and a few cents if it is not. See NGC Services and Fees | NGC (ngccoin.com). The last thing a new collector should be thinking about is sending coins to grading services. It is essential that you first learn how to identify, grade, and otherwise evaluate coins for yourself. From what books and other sources are you getting your information about coins?

Welcome to the NGC chat board. When you post photos of coins about which you have questions, please post photos of both sides of the coin. Based on what I see from the photo of the reverse only, this Lincoln, wheat ears reverse cent appears to be neither a striking error nor to have post-mint damage. It is likely just a heavily circulated Lincoln, wheat ears reverse cent that has worn down to Fair condition.

The Coin Explorer does have images of NGC certified coins from the NGC Registry for most issues.

Although I'm not an avid fan of this series, the 1971 Eisenhower dollar shown below was the first coin in my collection, with the possible exception of a few circulated wheat cents that I no longer have. In or about April of 1971 an aunt's father gave one of these first year of issue coins to each of the youngsters at a family gathering, including me. I had just become interested in coins around that time and have kept it ever since.

1885-S Liberty Seated dime, PCGS graded F 15. A rare date.

Welcome to the NGC chat board. When you post photos of coins on this forum, please crop the photos so that they are mostly of the coin and not the surface on which it sits. From what I can see, your 1970-S Jefferson nickel is likely just toned, although it is possible that the 75% copper 25% nickel alloy wasn't properly mixed, causing the coin to have a reddish appearance. In either case, it's likely worth little or no premium.

The coins in the mint issued blue envelopes and soft plastic sheets are uncirculated (circulation quality strikes), and the mint sold them for $3 each in the years of issue. The coins in the large brown boxes with a gold seal and housed inside in a hard, rectangular plastic holder as shown in @EagleRJO's photo above are proofs with mirror surfaces and usually with frosted devices and were sold by the mint for $10 each. The differences in the coins should be evident to you. The packaging also states whether they are proof or uncirculated.

This will continue my discussion of the earlier, common dates of copper nickel three cent pieces. The 1867 three cent nickel has a reported circulation strike mintage of 3,915,000 pieces, lower than the 1866 and much lower than the 1865. The 1868 three cent nickel's reported circulation strike mintage of 3,252,000 pieces continued the decline, but these mintages are still fairly high in the context of nineteenth century U.S. coinage. Like the previous dates, these coins are easily obtainable in circulated grades and available in low to mid-uncirculated grades as well. NGC and PCGS have numerically graded a total of 1,807 1867s and 1,771 1868's, with the highest numerical grade awarded by either service being MS 67 for the 1867 (by NGC) and MS 67+ for the 1868 (by PCGS). Obviously, the vast majority of these coins in existence are uncertified and those that are circulated are not worth the cost of third-party grading. Here are certified examples of each date from my collection, both graded MS 63, the 1867 graded by NGC and the 1868 by PCGS, both in older holders. Each coin is well struck for a circulation issue, but each with the clash marks and die cracks that are all too common on earlier dates in the series.

Welcome to the NGC chat board. As others have stated, your circulated 1970-D cent has no collector value. The internet contains a great deal of misleading and incomplete information about coins as well as other topics. The Denver mint issued nearly 2.9 billion 1970-D cents. Millions still exist in uncirculated condition, with original mint color, and most of these would be worth no more than a few dollars even if graded and encapsulated by a third-party grading service such as NGC or PCGS at a cost higher than that value. The only ones that would have substantial value would be pieces that such a grading service has given an extremely high grade for a coin issued for circulation, such as MS 67 RD. It is also possible that the coin you read about was a major mint error, in which case its date and mint would have little relevance. For accurate information about coins see the print and online resources described in the lead post in the following topic. The "Redbook" referred to in that post is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in U.S. coins.