What Constitutes a Coin Variation and/or Error?

DotStore · April 8, 2019 9:12AM

How do "Varieties" become official by the grading companies? For example, if one of the dies had an inadvertent pattern on it, and that pattern was transferred to all of the coins struck with that die -- would that be a "Variety" or would it be an "Error" or something else? And how many of the coins would have to be found (with the same distinguishing pattern) before it was recognized as an official "difference"?

ctf_error_coins · April 8, 2019 9:20AM

Many varieties are indeed minor errors. Not all varieties are errors. Most errors are not varieties. Hope this helps

Moxie15 · April 8, 2019 9:49AM

As I understand it an error occurs to one coin at a time during production and no two errors will be exactly alike. A variety, on the other hand happens to the die during the process of engraving or impression of the die by the hub (Hubbing?) and is present on all coins struck from that die.

grip · April 8, 2019 10:09AM

Good answer Moxie15.

ctf_error_coins · April 8, 2019 10:11AM

The 3 legged Buffalo is considered a variety and it is also a minor and repeatable die-polishing error

DotStore · April 8, 2019 10:17AM

@ErrorsOnCoins said:
Many varieties are indeed minor errors. Not all varieties are errors. Most errors are not varieties. Hope this helps

That actually does make sense (great user name)

@Moxie15
Thanks -- that is what I thought. I'm looking at some coins that might be a variety. I say that because I have seen several coins with the same distinguishing pattern on them (I'm thinking they were struck with the same die). I've seen this identical pattern on slabbed coins from all 3 major TPG's

cmerlo1 · April 8, 2019 10:41AM

Here are my definitions (some will disagree, but I like to keep it simple):

Variety: An abnormality with the die or dies used to strike coins, that can be seen on the coins it or they struck. All coins stuck by this/these die or dies will show the abnormality.

Mint Error: A coin that shows an abnormality that occurred in the manufacturing process of the coin itself. All of these are one-offs.