Do Die Cracks Have Any Collectible Value? 1 1

[Malamute]

[Coinbuf]

The 1941 is a lamination error, and yes is has some value.  The second coin rev is just scratched which is damage no value over face value.  However to answer your question die cracks have little to no value most of the time.  Only in some extreme situations can a coin with die cracks be of any value to knowledgeable collectors. 

Edited October 10 by Coinbuf

[Malamute]

On 10/10/2024 at 2:36 PM, Coinbuf said:

The 1941 is a lamination error, and yes is has some value.  The second coin rev is just scratched which is damage no value over face value.

Is the 1941 worth getting graded? 

[Greenstang]

Quote

Is the 1941 worth getting graded?

No, it would cost way more to get graded than the value of the coin.   
Put it in a 2x2 and mark it lamination error.

[Coinbuf]

On 10/10/2024 at 11:39 AM, Malamute said:

Is the 1941 worth getting graded? 

I would not, the certification cost of approximately $50 would likely cost more than it could be sold for.

Error collecting is a small part of the overall coin market.  It has gotten more publicity in recent years because covid keep people inside with nothing else to do but look at jars of pocket change. 

The hucksters and "influencers" took advantage of this and made/are making lots of cash with misleading misinformation using sites like you tube to disseminate their garbage about getting rich from pocket change. 

But it is still a small segment and in my experience many that populate this area are the roll searchers that like finding these coins, not paying for them.

A good example of this; you post this on FB and get lots of likes and attaboys.  That's cool but how many are throwing 100 bills your way to buy it, I'll bet that is/would be none or one at most.

[Sandon]

    Think about it. Die cracks result from cracks in the working dies from which coins are struck. Metal enters the crack while a coin is being struck, resulting in a raised (not depressed or sunken) line on the surface of the coin. Here are a few examples:

1.  Reverse of 1942-S wartime composition five-cent piece with a meandering top to bottom die crack running through the "S" of "PLURIBUS" down through the final "S" of "STATES"

2. Reverse of a proof 1894 Liberty nickel with thin die cracks running through "TATES OF AM"

3. 1818 (N-10 die variety) large cent with heavy die crack connecting the date and stars, as usual for this variety:

   I did not buy these coins because they featured die cracks nor pay a premium because of such cracks. Die cracks are quite common on both old and new coins. They are normal in the later stages of the life of a coinage die and are not generally classified as "mint errors". They are sometimes--especially for pre-1837 U.S. coins--classified as "die states", primarily for attribution purposes.

   If you are under the impression that one can expect to find significant mint errors or other coins that would be worth enough to submit to third-party grading services in pocket change or among random accumulations of coins, please read the following recent article by a prominent coin dealer: Jeff Garrett: Fake News and Misinformation in Numismatics | NGC (ngccoin.com).

[Malamute]

On 10/10/2024 at 4:13 PM, Sandon said:

    Think about it. Die cracks result from cracks in the working dies from which coins are struck. Metal enters the crack while a coin is being struck, resulting in a raised (not depressed or sunken) line on the surface of the coin. Here are a few examples:

1.  Reverse of 1942-S wartime composition five-cent piece with a meandering top to bottom die crack running through the "S" of "PLURIBUS" down through the final "S" of "STATES"

2. Reverse of a proof 1894 Liberty nickel with thin die cracks running through "TATES OF AM"

3. 1818 (N-10 die variety) large cent with heavy die crack connecting the date and stars, as usual for this variety:

   I did not buy these coins because they featured die cracks nor pay a premium because of such cracks. Die cracks are quite common on both old and new coins. They are normal in the later stages of the life of a coinage die and are not generally classified as "mint errors". They are sometimes--especially for pre-1837 U.S. coins--classified as "die states", primarily for attribution purposes.

   If you are under the impression that one can expect to find significant mint errors or other coins that would be worth enough to submit to third-party grading services in pocket change or among random accumulations of coins, please read the following recent article by a prominent coin dealer: Jeff Garrett: Fake News and Misinformation in Numismatics | NGC (ngccoin.com).

Agreed. I've slowly come to the realization that what you see on Youtube is fake, eBay included. The pocket change to several thousand dollar sale is not reality, it's just to excite people to look for common errors that are worth zero. I see $10,000 coins with L on the rim errors but almost all my 3000+ wheat pennies have that. I have several hundred quarters, dime and nickels with off center strikes and faded liberty or dates off the edge varieties which don't seem to have any real value. There's just to much misinformation out there. 

[VKurtB]

On 10/10/2024 at 4:16 PM, Malamute said:

Agreed. I've slowly come to the realization that what you see on Youtube is fake, eBay included. The pocket change to several thousand dollar sale is not reality, it's just to excite people to look for common errors that are worth zero. I see $10,000 coins with L on the rim errors but almost all my 3000+ wheat pennies have that. I have several hundred quarters, dime and nickels with off center strikes and faded liberty or dates off the edge varieties which don't seem to have any real value. There's just to much misinformation out there. 

Congratulations. You have achieved knowledge.

[RWB]

On 10/10/2024 at 5:16 PM, Malamute said:

Agreed. I've slowly come to the realization that what you see on Youtube is fake, eBay included. The pocket change to several thousand dollar sale is not reality, it's just to excite people to look for common errors that are worth zero. I see $10,000 coins with L on the rim errors but almost all my 3000+ wheat pennies have that. I have several hundred quarters, dime and nickels with off center strikes and faded liberty or dates off the edge varieties which don't seem to have any real value. There's just to much misinformation out there.

Ask those same critters how much they are paying, and they'll scatter like roaches.

[Henri Charriere]

Editorial comment.

The advent of the internet, and its many platforms, could have been a great asset to the hobby.  Unforunately, if anything, it has become a nothing but a bane to the hobby and somewhat of a hindrance.  You have to exercise due caution.  ⚠️ 

I have used the internet and it's various platforms to my advantage.  In the beginning I bought coins loose from all over the world where the asking price was very close to precious metal spot.  Later, to reduce my exposure to wide-ranging quotes, I confined my purchases to largely certified contenders: those emporium that were highly regarded, enjoyed top-shelf reputations with longevity and reputations to match. Always review reviews!  When one coin store I recognized from my youth (I am 73 now) advertised a date I needed, I jumped on the subway and was there in 15 minutes.  The gentleman who turned out to be the son of the owner I knew who had since passed, accepted a trade-in, in part, and I walked away with an example that is still featured, NGC-cerified, on my Set Registry here some three years later.

A word of advice:  the internet is not bad.  YouTube and Etsy are not dangerous if you use your head and due diligence.  Many old-timers peruse their listings for entertainment purposes.  They've done their due diligence, have been in the hobby many years, and, unless they've become senile or lonely since, have nothing to fear but fear itself.

Many of our warnings are directed at the newly-hatched Newbie, Hatchling or Sapling.  Much the way some sites carry warnings against dealing with those under 21 (or in many cases 16) some sites should be required to sport similar walls.

If you do not understand what we are talking about, trust me, in time you will.  We the Forum Stalwarts, have seen our fair share of buys that should have never made the cut.

Be safe, think before you commit yourself, consult with your colleages here -- do your due digence!

[GoldFinger1969]

On 10/10/2024 at 2:36 PM, Coinbuf said:

The 1941 is a lamination error, and yes is has some value.  The second coin rev is just scratched which is damage no value over face value.  However to answer your question die cracks have little to no value most of the time.  Only in some extreme situations can a coin with die cracks be of any value to knowledgeable collectors. 

On larger coins, to the extent a die crack is valued by collectors because of some die significance, it also may be a sign of authenticity if otherwise there are questions if the coin is counterfeit.

[GoldFinger1969]

On 10/10/2024 at 5:16 PM, Malamute said:

Agreed. I've slowly come to the realization that what you see on Youtube is fake, eBay included. The pocket change to several thousand dollar sale is not reality, it's just to excite people to look for common errors that are worth zero. I see $10,000 coins with L on the rim errors but almost all my 3000+ wheat pennies have that. I have several hundred quarters, dime and nickels with off center strikes and faded liberty or dates off the edge varieties which don't seem to have any real value. There's just to much misinformation out there. 

Simple reason why they are fake and we (and a few others) are not:  they're NOT coin specialty sites/forums, whereas we are.  I am sure there's some good videos or sellers on YouTube or Ebay, but you have to wade through dozens or hundreds of bad ones to find the good ones.  Here, the numbers are reversed as we wouldn't allow frauds or counterfeits or bad information to persist.

That's not to say we don't have contentious debates on issues regarding the hobby, grading, CAC, price and value, etc.  But it's at the margins, and nobody here is going to plug circulation wear as a valuable mint strike error. 

Edited October 11 by GoldFinger1969

[powermad5000]

On 10/10/2024 at 4:16 PM, Malamute said:

Agreed. I've slowly come to the realization that what you see on Youtube is fake, eBay included. The pocket change to several thousand dollar sale is not reality, it's just to excite people to look for common errors that are worth zero. I see $10,000 coins with L on the rim errors but almost all my 3000+ wheat pennies have that. I have several hundred quarters, dime and nickels with off center strikes and faded liberty or dates off the edge varieties which don't seem to have any real value. There's just to much misinformation out there.

The fact that you have that many of these should point you to the realization that they are on the side of common. Error values spike only when the errors are wild so to speak. The more wild the error, the higher the premium. Think Ike dollar struck on half dollar planchet, Washington quarter struck on Mexican peso planchet, Roosevelt dime struck over struck Jefferson nickel. I did see one lamination error that sold for a little over $500 and it was one that had a very large obverse lamination that actually separated from the cent and fell off but somehow was recovered and kept with the cent. In the holder the two pieces were set next to each other, but you could see where if you moved the separated piece over it would fit like a puzzle piece into the coin. Those kind of things will get large premiums.

Die cracks I agree with Sandon are more considered die states and not errors unless they bisect the entire coin or are significant forms such as those found in this from error-ref.com that I am posting a link for you to review.

https://www.error-ref.com/?s=die+crack

[JKK]

On 10/10/2024 at 2:16 PM, Malamute said:

Agreed. I've slowly come to the realization that what you see on Youtube is fake, eBay included. The pocket change to several thousand dollar sale is not reality, it's just to excite people to look for common errors that are worth zero. I see $10,000 coins with L on the rim errors but almost all my 3000+ wheat pennies have that. I have several hundred quarters, dime and nickels with off center strikes and faded liberty or dates off the edge varieties which don't seem to have any real value. There's just to much misinformation out there. 

Congratulations. You're officially past the noob stage of all this, at least in my estimation. You now understand what is generally not collectible and who the scum beings are. You might be a novice yet, but are no longer a noob. From here, it gets better as you focus on what is real rather than what is shill material.

If you want some reading recommendations, I can offer ideas that will let you take the left lane toward the intermediate stage. It's also worth remembering that there are a lot of coins out there to collect. The whole world has produced coins, some of which date back before Marathon. There are different specialties and each one is history, from the naked fascism of Vichy coins to the neat Kalimas of early Islamic stuff to the beauty of Suetonian era Roman imperial. It's worth exploring, and each different situation will be a chance to acquire new understanding.

And if you think that anything that old has to cost thousands, boy howdy do I have some happy news for you. Demand is much lower, relatively speaking, which has a restraining effect on prices. Which is why you can often get rather nice late Roman imperial bronzes for $12.

[Malamute]

On 10/10/2024 at 10:29 PM, GoldFinger1969 said:

Simple reason why they are fake and we (and a few others) are not:  they're NOT coin specialty sites/forums, whereas we are.  I am sure there's some good videos or sellers on YouTube or Ebay, but you have to wade through dozens or hundreds of bad ones to find the good ones.  Here, the numbers are reversed as we wouldn't allow frauds or counterfeits or bad information to persist.

That's not to say we don't have contentious debates on issues regarding the hobby, grading, CAC, price and value, etc.  But it's at the margins, and nobody here is going to plug circulation wear as a valuable mint strike error. 

That's why anyone with a large collection who is willing to learn, is best off here then really anywhere. There's so much to learn and you guys are all happy to share. This site is a great resource!