'Speared Bison' error in Coin World
Neptune
Posts: 2,221
page 102 of online edition - not sure if that's the same as print edition - in Collector's Clearinghouse with nice large photo. Thank you Eric! Here's a few 'snips'. Since it's copyright I'm sure, I better not post the whole article.
Publication:Coin World; Date:Monday, April 11, 2005 ; Section:Collectors' Clearinghouse; Page:102
Collectors’ Clearinghouse
A few raised marks
‘Spear’ penetrates bison on new 5-cent coin
By Eric von Klinger COIN WORLD Staff
The bison appears to have been speared on a quantity of 2005-D Jefferson, American Bison 5-cent coins discovered by Pamela Ryman-Moir of Texas.
A somewhat light but distinct die gouge shows as a raised, straight line on the coins. The line runs from the left side of the E in STATES southwest through the bison, ending below its belly.....
Error-variety specialist Ken Potter, familiar to Coin World readers as a regular coauthor of the "Varieties Notebook" column, examined the same example. He came down on the side of calling the mark a gouge because of the evenness with which it crosses both the open fields and a large recess of the die (the animal’s body).....
This die stage should achieve at least mention in specialty works on Westward Journey 5-cent coins or the Jefferson type in general.
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Comments
thats good news.thanks
littlejohn
Bet you I could go through a dozen large bags of them and not find a thing.
Congrats! I lived in Texas for 20 years and I never speared even ONE Bison!
Have any of these been found in the mint-wrapped rolls?
Cheers,
Bob
I also just noticed that there is also a blurb about the herd of bison on page 12 in the Editorial ... here's a snip:
.....Texas on March 10 spotted a small herd of bison (27)
A somewhat light but distinct die gouge shows as a raised, straight line on the coins. The line runs from the left side of the E in STATES southwest through the bison, ending below its belly.
collections: Maryland related coins & exonumia, 7070 Type set, and Video Arcade Tokens.
The Low Budget Y2K Registry Set
It appears to be a regulation issue spear and is deliberately placed to hit the bison's big soft belly, rather than his fat furry head. Clearly it is no accidental gouge, but instead a deliberate "end-of-day" rarity by the sole mint employee who goes unwatched by cameras and has free access to the entire facility and a copy of Time-Life's book, "Die-engraving on a budget."
My early estimates of the population is that there are only enough for me to sell and for you to buy. This is the key coin to the entire speared animals coin series. A speared animal oozing guts is entirely more disgusting than a 3-legged buffalo, and will surely generate great interest from all readers of USA Today. I only have a limited supply of these slabbed in greasy bacon-wrappers, with grades of Gross-64 and better.
Buy now to silence my inane blithering blabbering about this major error.
Nice going, Pam!
<< <i>The high spear and low spear varieties are both very spearlike.
It appears to be a regulation issue spear and is deliberately placed to hit the bison's big soft belly, rather than his fat furry head. Clearly it is no accidental gouge, but instead a deliberate "end-of-day" rarity by the sole mint employee who goes unwatched by cameras and has free access to the entire facility and a copy of Time-Life's book, "Die-engraving on a budget."
My early estimates of the population is that there are only enough for me to sell and for you to buy. This is the key coin to the entire speared animals coin series. A speared animal oozing guts is entirely more disgusting than a 3-legged buffalo, and will surely generate great interest from all readers of USA Today. I only have a limited supply of these slabbed in greasy bacon-wrappers, with grades of Gross-64 and better.
Buy now to silence my inane blithering blabbering about this major error. >>
I guess this is the thread where people are allowed to be unhappy over this development.
I agree with the point of this parody 100%. A couple of experts were very worried when the WI quarter errors began to be hyped that it would mark a return to the days when every little die chip and gauge was trumpeted as the next big variety. Between these coins and the "tall hat" CA quarters that a dealer was enthusiastically endorsing at a show last week (and which are all over eBay now), I fear those predictions have come true.
I'm sorry, but many of the people crowing about these new varieties are the same ones who were laughing at the "pi$$ing minuteman" and "FIRST STAT" eBay auctions two years ago. I defy any of you to tell me, other than what is says on the insert of your slab, what the difference is between those coins and these.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
<< <i>
I guess this is the thread where people are allowed to be unhappy over this development.
I agree with the point of this parody 100%. A couple of experts were very worried when the WI quarter errors began to be hyped that it would mark a return to the days when every little die chip and gauge was trumpeted as the next big variety. Between these coins and the "tall hat" CA quarters that a dealer was enthusiastically endorsing at a show last week (and which are all over eBay now), I fear those predictions have come true.
I'm sorry, but many of the people crowing about these new varieties are the same ones who were laughing at the "pi$$ing minuteman" and "FIRST STAT" eBay auctions two years ago. I defy any of you to tell me, other than what is says on the insert of your slab, what the difference is between those coins and these.
Sean Reynolds >>
That's a lot of venom coming from somebody that collects clipped planchets.
Edit for italics.
<< <i>
I guess this is the thread where people are allowed to be unhappy over this development.
I agree with the point of this parody 100%. A couple of experts were very worried when the WI quarter errors began to be hyped that it would mark a return to the days when every little die chip and gauge was trumpeted as the next big variety. Between these coins and the "tall hat" CA quarters that a dealer was enthusiastically endorsing at a show last week (and which are all over eBay now), I fear those predictions have come true.
I'm sorry, but many of the people crowing about these new varieties are the same ones who were laughing at the "pi$$ing minuteman" and "FIRST STAT" eBay auctions two years ago. I defy any of you to tell me, other than what is says on the insert of your slab, what the difference is between those coins and these.
>>
One of the greatest problems with the MA proof quarter is in the name. Several
good ones were suggested but they were ignored. Additionally the MA coin is
merely the result of chance which resulted in a die break in a "normal" area. Normal
meaning that the die usually breaks across the field in a weak spot in the die.
The "FIRST STAT" e-bay offerings were even less interesting because filled dies are
even more common. While some might to desire to own such coins it certainly is
not wise to spend considerable sums on coins which have little chance of maintaining
long-term desirability. I have an extensive collection of '60-D bar nickels (minor die-
breaks above date) but would never pay more than $1 for one and likely haven't
paid that much.
The WI coins, however, appear to be quite deliberate. They both appear to be de-
sign elements and even show some artistic ability (for their nature). This opinion
seems to be more than confirmed by the fact that they were produced simultaneously
and likely on the same quad press.
Is the new nickel a result of the same artist? Probably not since it appears it might
be random. Was it intentional? Probably not. While the coin is interesting and does
positively identify it as coming from a specific die, it does not have the import that the
WI coins do.
Were people who said this might open the floodgates right? Obviously, but this was
equivalent to predicting the sun will rise tomorrow and this has absolutely no bearing
on the extra leaf quarters.
typos