1996 P Washington Quarter - Die Break/Die Crack Error - Spitting Eagle/Broken Wing Error 1 1

[WayneT9639]

I found this beautiful specimen (1996 P Mintmark Washington Quarter with Die Crack/Die Break Error) in my pocket change around November 2022. It's in horrible shape however I can't seem to find anything even remotely close to this. I believe I may have found a very unique error here. Any help or reference/cross-refence resources for this specific Die Break Error would be greatly appreciated since I'm not finding anything on it.

[Sandon]

   This coin has a nice die break and is worth saving as a conversation piece.  However, die breaks are quite common and generally not worth much of a premium, unless the break has become so severe that a piece has broken out of the die, resulting in a blank area or raised blob on the coin that error collectors call a "cud". Mint employees usually replace the broken die before it gets to that point, so "cuds" are scarce. 

  Collectors of older (mostly pre-1837) U.S. sometimes collect them by "die states" that involve the progression of die breaks as the dies were used, but this is rarely the case for modern coins. There are just too many dies used for each issue.

  I've been collecting coins and looking through change for over 52 years and have seen a fair number of coins with die breaks, but hardly any errors more significant than a couple of broadstruck quarters and a blank cent planchet.  Significant errors and varieties rarely turn up in change.  Someone older than I am got a struck cent that had been overstruck by nickel dies a few years ago at the supermarket, though, so it's worthwhile to keep looking!

[EagleRJO]

I don't know if I would consider that a spitting eagle as it's really directed at the head, and not the mouth.  And die cracks or breaks are part of the normal coin production process, which happens all the time, so I wouldn't consider that an error.  Still a keeper.

Edited March 2, 2023 by EagleRJO

[RWB]

On 3/2/2023 at 4:28 PM, EagleRJO said:

I don't know if I would consider that a spitting eagle as it's really directed at the head, and not the mouth.

Maybe it's a "drooling eagle" "slobbering eagle while flying inverted to show off to the lady eagle who has flown off with another eagle guy" variety.

Interesting coin to learn from about minting - but not of much value.

[J P M]

I call that crack a keeper.

[WayneT9639]

On 3/2/2023 at 1:35 PM, RWB said:

Maybe it's a "drooling eagle" "slobbering eagle while flying inverted to show off to the lady eagle who has flown off with another eagle guy" variety.

Interesting coin to learn from about minting - but not of much value.

you crack me up @RWB

[JT2]

I wold keep it just because it is a cool piece to have and show off to others.  It isnt worth having graded or anything like that just put it in a flip or a 2 x 2 and have a few years of conversations about it.,,,  On a side not i thought she was the new Godzilla with laser eyes.... hahahahah

[WayneT9639]

On 3/2/2023 at 1:27 PM, Sandon said:

   This coin has a nice die break and is worth saving as a conversation piece.  However, die breaks are quite common and generally not worth much of a premium, unless the break has become so severe that a piece has broken out of the die, resulting in a blank area or raised blob on the coin that error collectors call a "cud". Mint employees usually replace the broken die before it gets to that point, so "cuds" are scarce. 

  Collectors of older (mostly pre-1837) U.S. sometimes collect them by "die states" that involve the progression of die breaks as the dies were used, but this is rarely the case for modern coins. There are just too many dies used for each issue.

  I've been collecting coins and looking through change for over 52 years and have seen a fair number of coins with die breaks, but hardly any errors more significant than a couple of broadstruck quarters and a blank cent planchet.  Significant errors and varieties rarely turn up in change.  Someone older than I am got a struck cent that had been overstruck by nickel dies a few years ago at the supermarket, though, so it's worthwhile to keep looking!

Very informative @Sandon. That is what I love most about this community. Very helpful and informative. Since I found this quarter I've developed a habbit of carefully inspecting ALL fiat that passes through my hand and if I see anything then I put it under a microscope to verify. I have 3 die cud errors I found doind that.

 

[RWB]

On 3/2/2023 at 5:46 PM, WayneT9639 said:

you crack me up @RWB

Ughhhh...awful pun ! Good one!

[Fenntucky Mike]

That is a nice find! Definitely a keeper. 

It is very possible that the coin is unique in that the coin captured a moment in time of the die state, the die crack was probably smaller on the preceding coin and larger on the succeeding. Kind of cool when you think of it like that, I think. It's evidence, a cool piece, I'd keep it in a flip for show and tell.

[powermad5000]

As far as die breaks getting a mint error designation, the die break has to be so severe it alters part of the image on either the obverse or reverse (meaning a large part of the die not on the rim but from the center of the die actually fell off). What you have is a die crack and metal from the strike flowed into the crack in the die. I have an 1883 Liberty Head nickel with die cracks across the entire surfaces of both the obverse and reverse and submitted it as a mint error because there was so much disturbance on both sides and the coin still returned graded as normal with the attached explanation of "not major".

Cuds happen when a part of the edge of the die breaks off and the metal flows into that space during the strike. Cuds have been common since the early 1800's as the mint overuses the dies to get the maximum life span out of them or the die is defective. This commonality might get a variety in certain issues but once again, only if there were many coins produced with the same cud in the same spot and usually the cud has to be quite large as in the 1811 half cent with a large cud that spanned four stars on the west of the obverse.

The only other mint error attribution I know of related to a die cracking or breaking is what is called a retained die break error. This type of error happens when a piece of the die breaks off before the strike and gets fused into the planchet while it is being struck. Minor die chips can be struck into a coin but once again, for it to be a mint error, a substantial piece of the die needs to be infused with the planchet during the strike.

You have a coin to keep as it has some unique features but I would not submit it, especially as a mint error as it will not receive such designation.