The Neophyte Numismatist

Welcome to the boards!!! IMHO - The leading indicator is mintage, and the lagging indicator is survival. Therefore, you can have a low-mintage proof that is not really "rare", because many of them were saved. Likewise, you can have a business strike that is slightly higher mintage than some of its peers, but because these coins were not saved - they did not survive. How a coin that is not saved becomes more scarce: Think about the 1932-D Washington Quarter. While I would not consider this coin "rare", it is more scarce than the 1932-S counterpart (which has a lower mintage). Why? More people saved the 1932-S. How a saved coin makes the issue less scarce: Think about the 1950-D nickel. Also, not a coin I would call "rare". However, this coin is a key date that wasn't, because it was saved in large quantities. Note: One thing that always bugs me in how some collectors talk about rarity is basing the rarity scale in terms of condition. As stated above, I base rarity on the number of surviving coins available. I do not subscribe to an R.1 coin being described to me as R.6, because it is at the top of the condition census. I would always consider the coin R.1, but certainly respect the difficulty of buying coins at the top of the condition census. (I do know that commercial TPGs do mix rarity and condition, but I think this is a mistake).

I am at AU55 on this one.

Congrats on finding a very nice cud.

@murder69 is nothing but a spammer and huckster. He is promoting his eBay site and trying to sell in nearly every post. I would beware of this member.

SPAM - this poster tries to sell at every turn, and is not even posting links to the coins being requested. Beware.

I rank them as: Classic: 1793-1933 Classic/Modern: 1934-1964 Modern Clad: 1965-Present (Note: This is nothing "official" with any org, it's just the way I bucket them in my head)

Nice die crack, and nice detective work @J P M! Edit: What is it worth? What someone will pay. I don't mean that snarky. I don't collect them, so to me it's just a cool die crack. I might spend <$5 on it, if I just liked it as an example. But, I am not inclined to collect them. And... that's the issue... many just don't collect errors, so it's a very small pool of buyers. I would save it as an example, but I would not pay the money to grade it. Welcome to the boards.

I hate seeing collectors go like this. I believe there is space for everyone in this hobby. Coins don't have to be graded, nor expensive. I do think that there are ways to get the most out of this hobby. The hobby is built on two pillars; rarity and quality. When rarity does not exist, quality will generally drive the pursuit. This does not mean they need to be graded (or even purchased)... this only means that collectors generally keep a coin until they find a better one (bought or found). Errors are a newbie killer. Without knowing the minting process it's like solving a Rubik's Dude with your eyes closed. There are just too many variables and too much to know about the minting process. YouTube does this group a disservice. I am not saying there is a right and wrong way. I think people should collect whatever they like. But, there are ways to maximize your knowledge, and knowing more is guaranteed to make this hobby more fun (and... frankly, will completely level the playing field against any guff encounters you may have). Good luck... and perhaps the 2.0 you will be back with vengeance. Neo. Edit note: I just read the link regarding your quarter. I know people said your coin is not worth a premium over face (and you also knew this). The coin is pretty beat up, and hopefully you see this, too. But... it's a cool example of mechanical doubling, and it has a neat filled "A". Now, you can get upset and toss the coin; leave the hobby. Or, you can ask... how do they know this is mechanical doubling (MD)? Or how can you tell mechanical doubling from die deterioration? Ask stuff like that, and you get links, pics - resources. Get upset and you get an equal but opposite reaction.

It's weird, right?

But, today's trends defy my logic on a near daily basis.

Agree with the others - just damage. I say this a LOT, but it's worth saying again... starting your collecting journey with errors is a very tough road. There is a lot to know about the minting process before you spot errors with any degree of accuracy. What's more, YouTube makes it seem like errors are everywhere in change and that you will become rich in searching for them (neither is true). I always suggest picking a coin and learning about it. What does quality look like? Are there typical striking issues and/or wear patterns. What are the common coins in the series, which ones are tough. This approach will continue the learning journey without the frustration of looking at your collection later and seeing lots of face-value damaged coins. [Self-deprecating note: I started collecting in 2020, and started with change and coin-roll-hunting. I watched YouTube. I bought 2x3 cardboard holders and saved anything that "looked different". Well, almost every coin is now back in circulation. I was saving garbage, and had not developed my eyes (and brain) enough to recognize it as damage. I have learned a LOT in 4 years. I am still not the worlds greatest numismatist, but I can hang. My point is... if you change your approach, you will be better rewarded (and faster) than chasing ghosts (which is what happens when a brand new collector chases errors)] Good luck.

Can you explain why you think it was struck this way? We can (and have) explain(ed) why we think it's a vise job.

Place a dime on either side of the nickel. Squeeze in vise until the dime impressions are left on both sides of the nickel. Viola - vise job!

In my collecting focus, the Philly Mint is all we have.

@Roy Winters Glad you got what you needed. Hope you get a lifetime of enjoyment out of the coins.

She's a keeper! Make her a necklace

One of the worst cases of Native American Conjunctivitis and Bison Syphilis this collector has seen.

@cladking Your concept on clad coins is an interesting one. I think a few things have to change to make your scenario true. First, as stated, demand needs to increase for clad coins. This may occur as future generations see moderns as not-so-modern. But, I also think the whole market needs to increase. If modern coin prices increase to a level of classic/silver coins, I would surmise that many collectors would rather spend comparable money on the classic coin. For this reason, I do think that the classics will continue to keep a lid on the moderns. I could be wrong. I am still learning the hobby... but, that's what my gut says.

Spot

Wow... I was not expecting to actually see something... it's rarer than the coin itself. Congrats! I am very happy for you.

I don't think either of these coins are "better" for a newbie or otherwise. Collecting is all a matter of taste. Personally, I would not buy either of these coins.

Hard to find without Jefferson's face banged-up.

cool planchet flaw errors.

Hi, and welcome to the forum. I am with @Greenstang on this one. This is damage on a zinc Lincoln Cent.

For anyone who wants to check out Jimbo's VAM Set. @jimbo27 that's a very nice set - congrats. (btw. I could not be #1001, because you are now at #1009 )