What was the first US error coin publication?

savitale · December 29, 2021 2:16PM

A quick Google search didn’t turn up anything useful.

Byers · December 29, 2021 3:21PM

That is a great question!

Don’t know the answer, but here is a section from a coin auction catalog in 1879 featuring mint errors, that was published in Mint Error News!

https://minterrornews.com/discoveries-2-17-04-1879_catalogue.html

desslok · December 29, 2021 3:42PM

While I doubt it's the first publication ever, I do have a copy of the first edition of Alan Herbert's "Official Guide to Mint Errors", published in 1974

Zoins · December 29, 2021 3:43PM

@desslok said:
While I doubt it's the first publication ever, I do have a copy of the first edition of Alan Herbert's "Official Guide to Mint Errors", published in 1974

That's a nice off center, double clip.

Byers · December 29, 2021 4:18PM

My first mint error catalog was issued in 1975.

Obviously NOT the first one out there.

In it, I had my Indian Head Cent in gold, and my $20 Liberty struck on a Large Cent blank for sale!

savitale · December 29, 2021 7:40PM

Interesting. The 1879 auction catalogue is certainly earlier than I would have guessed. From the Byers catalog it seems errors were appreciated in Col. Green's time, ~ 1920's and 30's, though those two coins are exceptional of course. Strange that there wasn't a book, or some sort of non-catalog publication before 1974 in that case.

gumby1234 · December 29, 2021 7:59PM

1956 to 1958

savitale · December 29, 2021 9:28PM

@gumby1234 said:
1956 to 1958

Thanks! I wonder if the 1955 Double Die cent helped kick this off. I realize we would call this a Variety today, but I could imagine it being included in the category of Mint Errors at the time.

cladking · December 29, 2021 10:03PM

I think we owe much of the interest in errors and varieties today to the first mass selling publication in 1962; Spadone's "Major Errors and Varieties Guide" first edition.

It looks somewhat quaint by today's standards but was actually a pretty good reference. It probably helped touch off the roll and bag boom and the huge changes in the hobby since.

Each edition improved a little. By the 6th it was much more comprehensive and some of the "dross" had been excised.

Sales of the book surprised almost everyone. There's little left of my first edition.

Zoins · December 29, 2021 10:12PM

It's really incredible to see these early publications.

Tibor · December 29, 2021 10:13PM

If I'm remembering correctly, Spadone had a book concerning varieties and errors. I've lost my copy, but I had it in the early 70's.

Treashunt · December 30, 2021 4:56AM

Spadone issued a number of issues, I remember one from the mid 1960's

What was the first US error coin publication?

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