Why are there hardly any ultra error Franklin halves?
braddick
Posts: 24,145 ✭✭✭✭✭
50% off-center or double-struck: Franklin half dollars are just not known for these types of errors (with any degree of market availability). Why are so few Franklin half dollars errors available compared to other series?
peacockcoins
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Coin Rarities Online had a 1963-D struck on a cent planchet in their
inventory a few years ago. They might be able to add some info on it.
I would also contact Fred Weinberg and John Sullivan for their input.
Seems like I remember a double struck Franklin, I can't remember if
it was dated.
Only one I own is one with a fairly large peeling lamination on the reverse.
My cousins had a Franklin Half that was broken in half. Their Grandfather was the cashier of a bank and had found it in the 1960's. I need to see if they still have it.
I have a Franklin clamshell error. I recently saw a Franklin struck on a small planchet (quarter?). Franklin errors are around. That CRO coin was very nice--I almost bought it.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
Because people don't mistakenly drop them in the local Wall Mart parking lot. If they did we would see them. Lots and lots of them. With photos. Lots and lots of photos.
Probably because the mintages were so small compared to the other denominations. Also, error coins are larger and easier to spot upon inspection.
In that era, the Franklin half was the closest thing that America had to a "Prestige" coin and the Mint workers took better care with it? The most senior workmen were assigned to the area making the highest value coin? Heavier and slower presses were used? Possibly an unknowable thing at this remove in time?
The rules of thumb are,
(1) the larger the coin, the more unlikely that chance that an error will escape the mint. Larger coins get noticed.
(2) The lower the mintage, the less likely it is to find errors. The small mintage might receive more scrutiny at the mint. The fewer the coins, the fewer survivors which results in fewer surviving errors.
(3) High face value coins receive more scrutiny at the mint. Therefore fewer errors are issued. This is the reason why gold coins with major errors are seldom seen.
Years ago I saw a $5 Liberty gold piece that was struck 30% off-center. It was grading MS-67, and it was a stunner. I have never seen anything like it since..
Came here to say this. Even in my little corner of the error coin hobby, it is very hard to find anything bigger than a rim clip on halves and above (the modern small dollar coins excepted). In my type set I have a 1953-D Franklin with about a 15-20% clip, the only one larger that I've seen was a 40% straight clip on a (I think....?) 1951-S.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
While I do not collect error coins, they do intrigue me. I agree that errors on large coins and gold coins are definitely more scarce... There was (likely still is) an error coin publication... a forum member used to periodically post a link here. That had some amazing errors in it... Cheers, RickO
I used to have a 30% clip 1962 Franklin that I sold.
I still have these tho ...
The 1963 Franklin with a Cent Planchet struck into it came from
an estate of a retired Phily Mint employee that I bought 20 so-odd
years ago. It contained some die cap and brockage 1964 Kennedy's
as well as a few others, but that was the only Franklin in the deal.
The 1895 $5 Gold Liberty struck 30% Off Center was in the Dr. Conway Bolt
collection of major errors that I bought from World Wide coins in 1974.
It was among 8 major error US Gold coins - the largest group of such
seen at the time.
Most precious metal (gold, silver, etc) U.S. coins are scarce with major errors (off-centers, double-strikes, off-metals, etc.) The larger the denomination, or the more valuable the metal, the more care was taken. Most of the known striking errors or obvious errors on precious metal coins tend to be errors that are not obvious (minor clips, on-center double-strikes, etc.)
Try finding a pre-65 Washington quarter struck 50% off-center. Try finding a major off-center on a peace dollar, Morgan dollar, standing quarter, any U.S. gold coin, etc. Major errors are scarce on precious metal coins, and the larger the coin size or more valuable the metal, the rarer major errors become.
Here's a thought. It's post WWII and the men and women at the Mint were quite happy to be working. They took pride in their jobs and halves were the easiest to detect, problem wise. I think the 1950's were short on errors in all denominations. A decade of pride in workmanship.
bob
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Seems like there aren't a lot of major errors for any of the silver type halves. Wonder which designs are the most common and which are the rarest.
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Still have this minor clipped Franklin since it was relatively inexpensive.
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"To Be Esteemed Be Useful" - 1792 Birch Cent --- "I personally think we developed language because of our deep need to complain." - Lily Tomlin
That’s a nice clip @WinLoseWin and with the minor clip still shows the Blakesley effect.
I have a nice 45 degree rotated Barber Half. Have any of you seen any Barber Half's with rotation? I know Dollars get a pretty good premium as such.
I’ve posted this before but love to share it when I can. I identified it as an error while moonlighting at a local B&M one year. Was hiding in a forgotten three ring binder that another coworker brought in in a box full of junk. We split the sale three ways. I prob should have bought it but we couldn’t decide on a value so we sold it at auction. Best coin I ever cherried really. I can envision a dime planchet hiding out in a crack in a bin and coming loose at some point and happened to be a Franklin die. Who knows.
My only large error coin is a 1969 D 40% silver half dollar in a mint set that has a rim clip similar in size to the 1963 half dollar pictured above. I saw the clipped half in the mint set OGP and thought it would be a conversation piece. So I bought the mint set for about $5.00
This is the coolest one I've seen (unfortunately not mine):
It sold at Stacks
https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-J4SBL/1961-d-franklin-half-dollar-struck-on-a-cent-planchet-ms-67-rb-ngc
@braddick
Guess it all depends on what you call "Ultra-Errors".
A quote from Vista Variety (http://www.varietyvista.com/11 Franklin Halves/index.htm)
Welcome to the next free online E-Book. This E-Book covers the Franklin Half Dollar Series. This series is moderate encompassing 322 listed die marriages in the CONECA Variety Files. This E-Book includes 122 DDOs, 121 DDRs, 28 RPMs, and 10 REDs all of which are detailed in the pages which follow.
That is a significant number of errors for a series that only lasted 15 years. I also have seen many Franklin planchet type errors, die trials, off-centers, and clipped examples.
No disrespect intended, but Bill's comment about 1950's Mint employees is admirable but not so much from my experience. Years of research on Franklins have shown that during the early 1950s the Philly Die Room quality control for Franklins was abysmal at best. Worn, overused Working Hubs and Dies, inferior planchets, and shotty striking practices were the norms. There are about 70 Franklin die varieties and errors between 1950 and 1951. alone. To make matters worse, Philly Die Room "mistakes " were all shipped to the Branch Mints to deal with so it did not reflect on the prestige of the "Parent" Mint. Things did not start to improve until early 1952.
But, by "Ultra", if you mean major fragmented coins in horrible contorted forms, then yes, not too many survived or escaped the Mint because as @SullivanNumismatics and others have mentioned, the Franklin was a "big" coin.
Took pics of the 1953-D half I mentioned in my comment above, this coin is from my clipped 7070 type set:
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
great errors!
The CRO coin referenced:
https://www.coinraritiesonline.com/index.php?page=archive&task=det_item&item_id=164881
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
You're on to something. Simply put; the work ethics of a bygone era. We've lost so much.....and we are none the better for it.
@Hydrant Following the Great Depression and the Second World War, the American work ethic was very very strong. Even to 1980, the whole situation was far different than today.