Are Spitting Eagles a Common Error? 0

[Terrance Zamora]

So I found this 1993 D Quarter and it looks a lot like the 1983 P spitting eagle, my question is, is this a common type of die crack for quarters? Has anyone seen a die crack like this on this quarter before? Thanks in advance.

[Just Bob]

The so-called "spitting eagle" is caused by the obverse die clashing with the reverse die. What you are seeing is the image of Washington's throat. Since it is a die clash, it could appear on any year Washington quarter with that obverse/reverse design.

[The Neophyte Numismatist]

This is not incredibly rare, but a very cool and fun find.  Congrats.

[Mohawk]

Agreed with Bob and Neo on all counts.....it's a fun circulation find, but not overly rare.

[VKurtB]

If it spits on me, its status as a national symbol will NOT save it.

[GBrad]

On 10/23/2021 at 10:23 PM, VKurtB said:

If it spits on me, its status as a national symbol will NOT save it.

Now I would love to see that fight in action........ My money is on the Eagle.... (sorry VKurtB)

[Terrance Zamora]

Thanks folks, that's an interesting note about the error caused by the dies clashing.  I've found a few errors in just about every box I've gone through I hold on to the interesting ones and put the rest back.  The most interesting I've found so far is a 2007 nickel with an extra 0 and a Bicentennial quarter missing a 7 in 1776. 

[Mohawk]

On 10/24/2021 at 12:38 AM, GBrad said:

Now I would love to see that fight in action........ My money is on the Eagle.... (sorry VKurtB)

Mine too.  Bald Eagles are some nasty, aggressive birds.  Here's what happened when a Red Fox tried to keep a Bald Eagle from stealing its hard earned kill. The eagle, fox and deceased rabbit are all in the air:

[Just Bob]

It is easier to see how this was created, if you don't have to use imagination. Here is an overlay that shows the position of the portrait, compared to the eagle, when the coin is struck:

 

 

[Mohawk]

That's a really cool and informative photo, Bob.  Thanks for finding that and sharing it.  You can definitely see how "spitting eagles" come into being very easily.

[Oldhoopster]

On 10/24/2021 at 10:41 AM, Mohawk said:

That's a really cool and informative photo, Bob.  Thanks for finding that and sharing it.  You can definitely see how "spitting eagles" come into being very easily.

You can find many overlays on   http://www.maddieclashes.com/denominational-overlays/

 

[Mohawk]

On 10/24/2021 at 10:56 AM, Oldhoopster said:

You can find many overlays on   http://www.maddieclashes.com/denominational-overlays/

 

That's a great site, Hoopster!  Thanks or sharing that!

[Just Bob]

On 10/24/2021 at 9:16 AM, Mohawk said:

Mine too.  Bald Eagles are some nasty, aggressive birds.  Here's what happened when a Red Fox tried to keep a Bald Eagle from stealing its hard earned kill. The eagle, fox and deceased rabbit are all in the air:

That rabbit is having a seriously bad day.

The fox isn't doing so well, at the moment, either.

The only thing left now is for the trio to get struck by lightning or hit by a low flying plane. (Actually, the perfect ending would be for the eagle to fly over water, and for all of them to be snatched out of the air and swallowed by a giant, leaping, Great White shark.)

[Mohawk]

On 10/24/2021 at 10:58 AM, Just Bob said:

That rabbit is having a seriously bad day.

The fox isn't doing so well, at the moment, either.

The only thing left now is for the trio to get struck by lightning or hit by a low flying plane. (Actually, the perfect ending would be for the eagle to fly over water, and for all of them to be snatched out of the air and swallowed by a giant, leaping, Great White shark.)

That would be a crazy, but very plausible ending.....Great Whites are some jumpers:

Edited October 24, 2021 by Mohawk

[Mohawk]

On 10/24/2021 at 10:58 AM, Just Bob said:

That rabbit is having a seriously bad day.

The fox isn't doing so well, at the moment, either.

The only thing left now is for the trio to get struck by lightning or hit by a low flying plane. (Actually, the perfect ending would be for the eagle to fly over water, and for all of them to be snatched out of the air and swallowed by a giant, leaping, Great White shark.)

You know....I was thinking about this and if we could get a frog or a salamander in here somewhere, the Great White Shark would have a sandwich of representatives of all three major living tetrapod groups.  With a frog or salamander, you'd have Lissamphibia, with the rabbit and fox, you'd have Mammalia covered and the eagle would be a representative of Reptilia.  In addition to being a total coin nerd, I am also a complete animal geek.

Edited October 24, 2021 by Mohawk

[VKurtB]

On 10/24/2021 at 9:16 AM, Mohawk said:

Mine too.  Bald Eagles are some nasty, aggressive birds.  Here's what happened when a Red Fox tried to keep a Bald Eagle from stealing its hard earned kill. The eagle, fox and deceased rabbit are all in the air:

How do they stand up against a 10 gauge?

[Mohawk]

On 10/24/2021 at 12:05 PM, VKurtB said:

How do they stand up against a 10 gauge?

Not well, but killing one is a pretty serious crime.  They are protected by both the 1918 Migratory Bird Act and the 1940 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.  

[VKurtB]

On 10/24/2021 at 11:15 AM, Mohawk said:

Not well, but killing one is a pretty serious crime.  They are protected by both the 1918 Migratory Bird Act and the 1940 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.  

I invoke the “but he started it, he spit on me” defense. In all seriousness, I did have a mating pair on my property in Pennsylvania. 

Edited October 24, 2021 by VKurtB

[Mohawk]

On 10/24/2021 at 12:16 PM, VKurtB said:

I invoke the “but he started it, he spit on me” defense. In all seriousness, I did have a mating pair on my property in Pennsylvania. 

That's really cool, Kurt.  They build some huge nests!! In my region of New York, we have several nature preserves with nesting platforms for raptors and Bald Eagles are one of the species that take advantage of them, along with Golden Eagles and Osprey.  Bald Eagles are actually the first species to start nesting in my region....they'll sometimes have eggs as early as February.

Edited October 24, 2021 by Mohawk

[VKurtB]

The entire lower Susquehanna River basin is LOADED with them. You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a bald eagle that probably killed the cat.

[gmarguli]

I'm sorry, but the eagle is drooling, not spitting. 

[Mohawk]

On 10/24/2021 at 1:22 PM, VKurtB said:

The entire lower Susquehanna River basin is LOADED with them. You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a bald eagle that probably killed the cat.

Once they tend to congregate in a suitable habitat, their numbers can increase rapidly.  The Erie Canal runs through the little village I currently live in and there are a TON of them along the canal!! You should see what happens when a restaurant or grocery store around here leaves a dumpster open......you'll have an eagle soiree in no time flat and there are few things on this Earth that can sling garbage around like a Bald Eagle party!! One local restaurant left their dumpsters completely open for a couple days earlier this fall and let me tell you, the back of that place and its rear parking lot were covered in trash in less than 48 hours!!! I feel bad for the employee or employees that got the job of cleaning up after the eagle get together.  I think the place learned its lesson...now the dumpsters are always closed and locked.  Bald Eagles are worse with garbage than raccoons are.

Edited October 24, 2021 by Mohawk

[VKurtB]

On 10/24/2021 at 5:21 PM, Mohawk said:

Once they tend to congregate in a suitable habitat, their numbers can increase rapidly.  The Erie Canal runs through the little village I currently live in and there are a TON of them along the canal!! You should see what happens when a restaurant or grocery store around here leaves a dumpster open......you'll have an eagle soiree in no time flat and there are few things on this Earth that can sling garbage around like a Bald Eagle party!! One local restaurant left their dumpsters completely open for a couple days earlier this fall and let me tell you, the back of that place and its rear parking lot were covered in trash in less than 48 hours!!! I feel bad for the employee or employees that got the job of cleaning up after the eagle get together.  I think the place learned its lesson...now the dumpsters are always closed and locked.  Bald Eagles are worse with garbage than raccoons are.

So not all eagle poop in coming from Lincoln Financial Field in South Philly?

Edited October 25, 2021 by VKurtB

[Mohawk]

On 10/24/2021 at 6:57 PM, VKurtB said:

So not all eagle poop in coming from Franklin Financial Field in South Philly?

Not even close!!! I'd imagine they had to take a power washer to that restaurant's back side.......in addition to being total garbage monsters, Bald Eagles are also champion defecators in the right situation.  You should see what the heavy equipment used in any landfill around here looks like.......much Bald Eagle fecal encrustation.

Edited October 24, 2021 by Mohawk