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Improperly Annealed $1 Trump Coin
WQuarterFreddie
Posts: 3,334 ✭✭✭✭✭
Found this today in a $100 bag. I am curious if this is considered an error coin of value or nothing more than a conversation piece.
Also, want to know if any other forum member has found one.
10
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chopmarkedtradedollars.com
No Deal!!
Definitely an error coin of value. Nice find.
yeah. legit. didn't need to see the edge, but who cares. value? unknown to me. worthy of a cardboard 2x2
.
I should avoid these as I don't do well with errors.
That looks like an improper alloy mix - maybe?
From error ref:
https://www.error-ref.com/improper-alloy-mix/
I turned up the exposure to try and make the surface brighter/lighter/more visible.
Also enlarged the right side as I see some near vertical 'lines' (at star and Y, around T and around initials. Is it planchet roller or something else?
Hopefully these might help an error person.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=OwZlYz2V4AM Sophie Lloyd, guitar shred cover Paranoid (Black Sabbath)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=fbEW8BrNctI Haley Reinhart, Don't Know How To Love You Live (direct to record)
RLJ 1958 - 2023
alloy issue is irregular streaking
I appreciate your input! I am taking it to my friend who is a coin dealer tomorrow.
I will ask him to weigh it.
Immediately placed in the 2x2 this afternoon when I found it.
it's the actual metal that is discolored.
dipping will hurt this coin because the alloy of the coin is reactive with all the usual suspects but acetone and other organic solvents.
don't test dip this
Understood and I appreciate the advice.
There are hundreds, if not thousands of these, popping up in Facebook coin groups. Unfortunately these poor misinformed souls all believe that they have discovered a missing clad layer!
Their coins weigh 7.8 to 8.1 grams, within tolerance for a regular dollar planchet.
I have tried until I am blue in the face to explain that a missing clad layer dollar will weigh around 6.0 g to 6.1 g. And that a Trump Dollar weighing around 8.0 g having one or BOTH sides ‘coppery looking’ is a very minor mint error.
Some of these individuals are even sending in their ‘missing clad layers’ to the grading services.
Having said that, here is the first discovered AND certified Trump Dollar missing a clad layer. There is one other raw one (not certified) that I have verified to be genuine. It is very likely that these two will not be the only ones to surface.
On the other hand, there are a few U.S. Quarters in the America the Beautiful Quarter program and in the American Woman Quarter Series, where only one or two missing clad layers are known so anything is possible.
My Trump Dollar missing clad layer discovery was published in Mint Error News, then in CoinWeek and next week in CoinWorld.
https://minterrornews.com/discoveries-10-7-26-error-on-new-trump-dollar.html
https://coinweek.com/new-trump-dollar-error-discovery-has-a-copper-face-and-a-25000-asking-price/
Congratulations on your find and thank you for taking the time to post.
I am aware of your find and have already read the article. It's a shame you didn't send your coin to our host for grading since a PCGS holder tends to bring additional value to a graded coin.
To be clear, I never claimed to have a missing clad layer and I posted what I believe to be an accurate title.
If you are correct that there are hundreds or even thousands of Improperly Annealed $1 Trump coins then I am confused as to why no other forum member has posted that they have found one.
How many have you found?
Now back to the improper anneal. The error ref link has some information but focuses on the peeling layers. However, the last photo, of a different composition, is closer. So I kept looking and found it a little difficult to find the information. Maybe I just search badly. However, the bottom link has a good write up but I can not say how accurate it all is. I think it is a good read either way if any interest in this.
https://www.error-ref.com/improper-annealing/
https://www.numisdex.community/learn/planchet-errors/improper-annealing
A couple of items from the second link - first the $1 Sacagawea and then the notation on older slabs notations.
The 2001-P Sacagawea dollar is particularly notable -- improperly annealed examples display a deep copper-brown "chocolate" coloration instead of the normal golden finish, caused by copper atoms from the core migrating through the manganese brass cladding during excessive furnace exposure.
Different grading services use different terminology for this error. NGC labels these as "Improperly Annealed Planchet," PCGS often uses "Sintered Planchet," and ANACS has used both "Improperly Annealed" and "Improper Alloy Mix" on different specimens. Collectors should be aware that these labels describe the same fundamental error -- a planchet that was not properly heat-treated during production.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=OwZlYz2V4AM Sophie Lloyd, guitar shred cover Paranoid (Black Sabbath)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=fbEW8BrNctI Haley Reinhart, Don't Know How To Love You Live (direct to record)
RLJ 1958 - 2023
Thank you. Fantastic explanation and appreciate you sharing your knowledge!
I showed my coin to 2 different dealers. One yawned and said good luck trying to sell it. LOL...
The other dealer deals with error coins but had no idea of the value for this coin so we have decided to wait and see if any are sold on Ebay to establish a fair market value. As of now, I couldn't find any listings.
If any member finds one of these "copperheads" please post it here so we can document that there are indeed hundreds or even thousands available.
Thank you!
You posted an accurate description of your coin. I was referring to those who found an improperly annealed coin, or on a sintered planchet or one that was just discolored believing that it was a missing clad layer.
As noted on the NGC insert, it has the ‘Advanced Releases’ designation. One can’t just send in a coin (mint error or not) to get this designation. You need to be a designated bulk submitter to get the NGC Advance Releases designation on a 2026 Trump Dollar.
Regarding your comment on the perceived added value having a mint error in a PCGS holder, this may apply to regular coins. I have not found this to be true with error coins. I buy and sell PCGS, NGC and CACG error coins with no price distinction.
I have been flooded with calls, emails and texts due to the articles on Mint Error News and CoinWeek. I can hardly wait until the CoinWorld story breaks.
Those contacting me believe they found ‘one of these like in the articles’
What they have is a copper colored Trump Dollar on the obverse, reverse or both sides. Clearly something is going on.
Here is one of many images of the ‘copper’ Trump Dollars that are being found:
Additionally, several FB group coin groups, including one with 56,000 members are discussing their ‘copper’ Trump Dollars, believing that they have missing clad layers, even after I try to explain that their normal weight Trump Dollar that is discolored is not a missing clad layer.
Also, several youtube channels including ‘son of a silver stacker’ (17,000 subsribers) have discussed these Trump Dollars and want to interview me. ‘Son of a silver stacker’ wants me to explain what is occuring and the confusion with the ‘copper’ Trump Dollars.
‘Numismatic of America’ with 56,000 members makes no attempt to accurately explain the difference between a missing clad layer and the many ‘copper’ Trump coins that its members have found. I tried and gave up. Maybe a few of you can join and find the few threads discussing this, and flood them with accurate information.
Again, congratulations on your find and your moments in the spotlight.
I'm still waiting for a member to post one here. LOL..
It just needs a catchy name for marketing. I’d call it the Prince of Darkness variety.
Thank you.
I suspect that it will catch on in here eventually.
i can't explain a copper colored dollar
can i start a rumor? heh . the order of the layers is mixed up. copper-manganese-manganese. i'm evil
That will definitely stir things up!
to settle it, maybe xrf.
but there's always "but mine is" for the excited group.
What are the odds the same guys who worked on the Reflecting Pool are now working at the Mint?
While searching another bag, I found my second "Copperhead"
We found 1 of these out of 10 bags between me and family members. We did have 1 bag where about 10 coins had a slightly darker tone -- but not as extreme as a full "copperhead"
Yes. You can definitely tell when you find one!
CoinWeek just published their second article on the Trump Dollar Missing Clad Layer (copper obverse). The article goes into depth on my discovery coin, the two new ones found, how to tell the difference, etc:
https://coinweek.com/check-your-mint-bags-three-trump-dollar-missing-clad-layer-errors-now-reported/
My brother's Florida buddy bought a roll and send some pics. The coins looked like the examples here.
How does the mint mess up this badly, they are trash.
Llamas and alpacas are camels. They aren't like camels, or related. They are camels. When was anyone going to tell me this?! How long had Bill Nye been holding out on us?
Post images here. Weigh them on a scale. If they weigh 8.0 to 8.1 grams each, they are improperly annealed ( a coppery look) and are worth $50. to $100. each.
If they weigh between 6.0 to 6.1 grams and have a rough edge all the way around, then they were struck on planchets missing the clad layer.
So far, as indicated in the CoinWeek article, and in my research, only 3 are verified to be missing clad layers.
This does not mean that the number won’t increase, but new ones must be verified as to the weight and ‘look’.
As I mentioned previously, many collectors think that they have a missing clad layer, but once they weigh it, its the normal 8.0 to 8.1 gram weight.
Ill ask them to weigh the coins later
Llamas and alpacas are camels. They aren't like camels, or related. They are camels. When was anyone going to tell me this?! How long had Bill Nye been holding out on us?
Thanks for the image. Can you post an image of the side, showing either two layers or three.
If it is missing a clad layer it will only have 2 layers, as shown in the image below:
Am I understanding the CoinWeek article correctly that the three known examples are all missing the reverse clad layer? and would that likely be the case for any future examples, or is it too early to determine at this point?
i don't think coins from the punch are taken through the processes such that the reverse of all missing clad layers will be the copper side. it is random
as for 3 layers, usually you see only 2 as the punch smears metal down. sometime you see only 1 layer despite it having 3!
As per the CoinWeek article and my research, there are only three OBVERSE missing clad layers known on the Trump Dollar. Likely a few more will surface.
Sometimes it is not super clear that there are three layers. But on the discovery coin, it’s crystal clear that there are just two layers, the copper core and one outer layer. Hopefully one turns up missing the reverse layer.
Yes, obviously it is random if the exposed copper core is struck by the obverse or reverse die.
Not a perfectly written article but great publicity for the Trump Dollar Missing Clad Layers and mint errors in general.
Moneywise reports 75 team members, including a newsroom with more than 30 journalists and personal-finance writers.
It’s stories are syndicated or featured on major platforms including Yahoo, MSN and AppleNews.
https://moneywise.com/news/top-stories/trump-dollar-coin-minting-errors-value
The article is not crystal clear differentiating between the $50-$100 improperly annealed ones, and the $25k discovery piece ( one of three known to date).
But it finally went viral.
The biggest error coin news story of 2026 is the discovery of missing-clad-layer errors on the new 1776-2026 President Donald J. Trump $1 coins.
Moneywise corrected their quote. The article originally confused the value of the 3 known missing clad layers with the value of the improperly annealed Trump Dollars: