I have a couple error coins I could use some help with 1 1

[Psymon]

Hello,

I have a couple Kennedys and Eisenhowers I'm having difficulty identifying, and wonder if they would be worth grading? I appreciate any help. All coins are uncirculated. 

I have 1964/69 Kennedys with double die errors (I think)

1969

1964 DDO

1972 Ike

1974 Earth Error

Edited March 17 by Psymon

[Greenstang]

Don’t really see any errors, a DoubledDie is a variety, not an error.   
If you have to increase the size that much to see something, it would be irrelevant anyway.  
as grading companies only use 5X magnification. You could probably find something wrong
with any coin increasing the size that much.

[J P M]

I agree with Greenstang, It is not a easy task to find error coins. Many times, magnification can make you see things that will not matter in the end. 

[Sandon]

    Welcome to the NGC chat board.

    A mint error of any significance, such as an off-center or multiple strike, a broadstrike, or a coin struck on a clipped, defective or wrong planchet, would be observable to the unaided eye. Die varieties, such as doubled dies, which would appear on a large portion if not all of the coins struck from a specific die pair, are regarded as significant by knowledgeable collectors and attributable by grading services only if they are observable at no or lower (5x-7x) magnification. Those that NGC is willing to attribute are listed, with photos in most cases, on VarietyPlus, Countries | VarietyPlus® | NGC (ngccoin.com).  Most of what I see on the extremely magnified photos you have posted appears to be the result of die deterioration, which is extremely common and generally commands no premium.

    It would be best for you to learn the basics of collecting U.S. coins, such as the history of U.S. coins, types, which dates, mints and major varieties are valuable, grading and basic authentication before getting into more advanced topics such as mint errors and die varieties. It is also essential for you to have knowledge of how to grade and otherwise evaluate coins yourself before you even think about submitting coins to grading services. Do you have basic references such as a recent edition of the "Redbook", a grading guide, and a subscription to a current price guide?  See the following forum topics for suggestions of basic print and online resources:

   If you want an overview of what constitutes a mint error and how to distinguish between mint errors from die varieties, see the following articles on the NGC website:

Learn Grading: What Is a Mint Error? — Part 1 | NGC (ngccoin.com)

Learn Grading: What Is a Mint Error? — Part 2 | NGC (ngccoin.com)

Learn Grading: What Is a Mint Error? — Part 3 | NGC (ngccoin.com)

Learn Grading: What Is a Mint Error? — Part 4 | NGC (ngccoin.com)

Variety vs. Mint Error | NGC (ngccoin.com)

For a comprehensive treatment of mint errors, see the site error-ref.com.

[Psymon]

On 3/17/2024 at 5:58 AM, Greenstang said:

Don’t really see any errors, a DoubledDie is a variety, not an error.   
If you have to increase the size that much to see something, it would be irrelevant anyway.  
as grading companies only use 5X magnification. You could probably find something wrong
with any coin increasing the size that much.

That's true, but you can see the S is way off with just your eyes same with the A on the back, that's why I went in for a closer look. Same with giant 9 at the end of 1969, thanks for looking though. 

[Sandon]

   Regarding the 1969-D half dollar, the photo is much too small to see anything significant. Here are appropriately sized and cropped obverse photos of a 1969-D half dollar that I've had in an album for decades and of a 1969-S proof that NGC graded MS 68* (and for which I paid less than what it would have cost to submit it). 

  

    

    On both of these coins, the second "9" in the date appears to have a somewhat different configuration that makes it appear "larger" than the first, and this was likely the case for every half dollar minted that year. A different date style on one or more obverse dies would have required more than one "hub" (die making die) in use for that year, and it is likely that any such variety would have been discovered before now.  If you still believe that your coin is significantly different, please post a better photo of your coin, as well as of another 1969-D half dollar that you think would be "normal".

[RWB]

No meaningful errors or varieties -- just ordinary die wear during use.

[powermad5000]

Hello and welcome to the forum!
 

The high mag photos actually make it harder for me to check what areas of interest you would want me to see. High mag can make a tiny nick look like the Grand Canyon.

From what I do see in your photos concerning doubling or odd lettering, I can see the flow lines in the fields of the metal consistent with very late stage dies. Being that is the case, the "doubling" I see is not even a "stepped" like doubling which would be a strike doubling, but on your coins is a sloped-like mushy doubling consistent with what is called die erosion doubling. This can even account for the distortion on lettering as the dies are worn out past the point of the metal in the strike staying within the recesses of the die, and the metal has enough space to squeeze out of the design elements in the die making letters or numbers appear to have different shapes or sizes. All of this can be explained by dies being used past the point of normal wear, and none of it is considered an error but is viewed as poor quality control.

While speaking on that subject, any of the features you are indicating might be on your coins would not be mint errors, but rather varieties. DDO, DDR, RPD, and RPM are not errors, they are varieties.

[Halbrook Family]

On 3/17/2024 at 4:35 AM, J P M said:

I agree with Greenstang, It is not a easy task to find error coins. Many times, magnification can make you see things that will not matter in the end. 

I've used my scope a million times and haven't seen anything but dirt. Most every coin has damage looking at with a microscope. I haven't seen a variety yet. Maybe I need to study the variety pages more. 

[VKurtB]

On 3/17/2024 at 9:35 PM, Halbrook Family said:

I've used my scope a million times and haven't seen anything but dirt. Most every coin has damage looking at with a microscope. I haven't seen a variety yet. Maybe I need to study the variety pages more. 

Or…, hear me out please, you (the OP) could put error and variety hunting aside and search for the best coins possible. Just a thought. 

[Halbrook Family]

On 3/18/2024 at 3:28 PM, VKurtB said:

Or…, hear me out please, you (the OP) could put error and variety hunting aside and search for the best coins possible. Just a thought. 

The microscope was a waste of money. Wish I had listened to you guys. I was hoping to find a few varieties but haven't yet. I would have been better off buying a nice $50 coin instead. 

[VKurtB]

On 3/25/2024 at 9:20 PM, Halbrook Family said:

The microscope was a waste of money. Wish I had listened to you guys. I was hoping to find a few varieties but haven't yet. I would have been better off buying a nice $50 coin instead. 

You are approaching wisdom, grasshopper.