CONECA error coin? Is this really unusual?

ttxp

Found this ICG CONECA coin at slightly over silver melt. And although I know nothing about this particular coin, decided I would research it when I had a moment. A trip to the CONECA site left me more confused then I was initially.

Using the codes on the slab, I was able to find the reference to the coin, with the exception it says the coin exists in MS65, no mention of MS63

It describes the errors as being:

Spread on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
And in brief, the stars everywhere else on the back.
(Flared G) in God and EDS (What is EDS?)

Would it not be inconceivable that all dies would show some variation and be somewhat normal?

Repunch mintmark I understand are unusual, double dates and letters, etc., those are all understandable differences. But a complete obverse or reverse placement of stars and such constitute an error? I would think that all master dies are somewhat different, that no two dies are exactly the same. Am I missing the boat here?

I personally place no significant value on this half, nor did the person who sold it to me? But yet someone paid a few dollars to have it certified by both ICG and CONECA. Does it actually have some value above its grade and year, in this case a common coin?

The CONECA site says three are known in MS65 (again there are no notes about MS63) would it not be reasonable to assume there are a gazillion of these?

My primary question is, are all die stamps supposed to be exactly the same?

I guess I know little about error coins above the most obvious, missing legs, planchet laminations, double dates and so forth, I will accept that a flared G in God on this coin is unusual.

Sorry to wax on, but I never considered alignment of the entire design an error.

Click on image of the coin slab:

kranky

I believe "DMR" refers to the die marriage registry (same idea as VAMs). DDR means Doubled die reverse. EDS means Early Die State - in other words, the die was relatively fresh.

So the error here is a Doubled die reverse.

pharmer

This is a result of the CONECA/ICG combination variety attribution and slabbing program. You send the coin to James Wiles of CONECA, who attributes the variety and forwards it to ICG for grading and slabbing. You might see more of these, as it seems to me that ANACS, the long time leader in this, is doing a poor job of attribution these days. The value of this slab is in the accurate attribution of the variety by the guy who literally wrote the book on Kennedy varieties.


Edited to add that the ms65 in the CONECA info means that's the grade of the one/ones he has seen (3 total I guess). But as you surmise, there are many of them, and there are many different ddo's and ddr's for 1964 and 64d Kennedy's. They're neat, and plentiful.

ttxp

Thanks Jim and Pharmer,

I appreciate the information, at least now I'm on the right track.