Cool Morgan error coin

Wolf359

Picked this up recently. Looks like a large planchet crack (1921-D) with a raised field. The seller actually thought it was a retained cud,
so naturally I grabbed it. Anyone know what would cause this? Impure metal mixing?

errormaven

<< <i>Picked this up recently. Looks like a large planchet crack (1921-D) with a raised field. The seller actually thought it was a retained cud,
so naturally I grabbed it. Anyone know what would cause this? Impure metal mixing?

It's a "lamination" error. A small, relatively thick flake is detaching from the coin. Such errors are, indeed, often attributed to contaminants in the alloy.

Wolf359

ttt - for other opinions.

dollardude

Interesting, I thought I'd give this a try. I checked The Comprehensive U.S. Silver Dollar Encyclopedia by John Highfill. This is a tough one. There are three possibilities: (1) planchet error, (2) die error, or (3) striking error (or, any combination of the three). I think this one is a combination of die and striking errors. The reference above said that this problem was common with 1921 Morgans and with 1922 and 1923 Peaces.

Here is what Highfill says:

"They occur when a die actually cracks under the intense pressure of repeated strikings, and the metal from the planchet is forced into that fissure at each impact. On subsequent strikings the crack grows larger, more metal is forced into the opening, eventually broadening or lengthening it, or both. Eventually, the die breaks and a piece falls away, usually at the edge. The planchet metal forced thorugh the cavity now is large enough to form a "blob" on the coin which is commonly referred to as a "cud"."

This seems to be a unique case, in that I don't really see a lot of metal that has formed a blob. Instead, it appears to be an open crack. So, there could also have been a crack in the original planchet. Maybe a combination of all of these problems????? Interesting piece.....

errormaven

It's not a striking error because the design is not disturbed or otherwise abnormal. It's not a die crack or other die error because the planchet itself is peeling up. A die crack would not be visible on the edge and would show up as a raised line.

This is clearly a planchet error -- a lamination error, to be precise. Lamination errors are quite common in all solid alloy denominations, and ones this small hardly even register as a significant error. You need flakes a lot bigger than this to get a rise out of an error collector.

dollardude

How could a lamination error in the planchet cause a crack this large? Please elaborate.

JrGMan2004

A lamination error is a piece of the planchet peeling up. It has nothing to do with the die cracking or failing in any way...

Wolf359

Yes, the seller thought it was a retained cud as well. However, under a scope I see no evidence of a die break. It's very tricky because
the field is raised.

I have 2 other retained cuds, one is pictured in my signature line. Under a scope you can actually see the die break terminate deep
inside the denticles. Here...you cannot. The crack simply stops.

mgoodm3

Lamination. On the edge the defect is hollow. A die crack is raised.

Trooper

I'd say lamination like everone else....

Tom

Conder101

Lamination or planchet crack. Planchet crack is often caused by the same things that cause laminations. A cracked planchet can be though of as having a vertical or near vertical plane lamination.

errormaven

A lamination is a separation in the horizontal plane. It will affect one face. Of course, a coin can have multiple laminations on both faces, but any particular lamination will be restricted to one face. The most severe expression of this sort of error is the "split planchet", where a coin separates into two halves like an oreo cookie.

A cracked planchet is a separation in the vertical plane that extends through the planchet and is visible on both faces. Of course, one can have an oblique split, too, but you still call it a cracked planchet if it appears on both faces. The most extreme expression of this error is the "broken planchet" or "broken coin" error, where the coin breaks into two pieces, like a broken ritz cracker.

(It seems I have junk food on my mind this morning).