Dropped Star found on 2024 Kennedy Half Dollar
dipset512
Posts: 17 ✭✭
I wanted to share this with the forum as researching this one was tough because there aren't many known examples out there and the literature is lacking on dropped elements.
While CRH rolls of all new Kennedy Half Dollars, I originally thought I had a DDR, which was incorrect, I was about to throw it in the change jar and figured I'd take one last look and found a star on Kennedy's cheek. I was unsure if it was raised or incuse so posted on a discussion forum. Still perplexed, I sent it in to PCGS and it was authenticated as a Mint Error - Dropped Star Obverse.
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Interesting. Is this the result of a grease filled die, the filling falls out and is struck through? It would need to be pretty hard to make an impression. I take it this is the only one in your search?
Yes, grease filled die. Yep, the only one, I originally got 3 rolls and went back and got the rest of the new box the teller had.
That's really cool!
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Hmmm. So a "dropped-letter" is basically a struck-through, correct?
If the dropped stuff (whether grease or metal) falls away then it's a struck-through and will be incuse, and if the material is still there then it's a retained struck-through?
I can't envision a case where the dropped item would be in relief.
(I assume that on the OP coin the star is incuse.)
i've been wanting to find a dropped anything since i've started
great find!
Excellent find!
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Looks like JFK stayed too long at the glitter party. Nice find.
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Super find. Congrats.
Jim
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That’s a really neat error. What a fun find!
Way cool find, I like 👍
Im amazed not only at the find, but the fact you are able to get 2024 coins at a bank to search!
People order boxes of halves and when they find out they are new, they don't want them, so I lucked out that time.
Great find! Too bad PCGS won't let you put it in the registry, that way you'd have the top POP worth a bunch of points! LOL
beautiful find
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Nice find and follow-up with your research and submission - congrats!
Just another look before you move on. Paid off to take that moment. Peace Roy
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That is a cool find.
That's one star you don't want to pick up.
Young Numismatist • My Toned Coins
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Great find and a good eye to recognize it!
I have never heard of a dropped letter. After reading possible explanations of how this might have happened, I'm can now believe that there is a Santa Clause. What are the chances of this coin
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Can anyone explain how a dropped letter from the reverse got onto the obverse,
Usually a dropped letter on the obverse is dropped from the obverse.
perhaps the obverse was the anvil and the star dropped between planchets
if this is the case it would be more special
Congrats. Here's a video on it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B5UpTUF52o
http://ProofCollection.Net
Since 2023 for some reason, brand new rolls of half dollars have been showing up at the bank. I’m a roll searcher… The other day I ordered a box of half dollars and when they came in they were all brand spanking new 2024 rolls.
the mint has started coining them for circulation for a few years now
I can't remember the last time I paid or received a Kennedy Half in change. Not sure why the Mint produces in such volume. Serves no purpose if not used in commerce.
I am not a numismatic expert. Can someone explain what the difference is between a dropped star and a clash mark? James
The OP should look at the other halves it came with for a filled star, that would be a really cool pair to find one struck just before it dropped out.
A clash mark happens when the dies hit each other without a planchet in between. In this case, there was some debris filling the cavity in the reverse die for one of the stars, and it fell out onto the obverse die and made a star-shaped indentation in the next coin.
Young Numismatist • My Toned Coins
Life is roadblocks. Don't let nothing stop you, 'cause we ain't stopping. - DJ Khaled
@hummingbird_coins . Thank you. So this would be some sort of retained lamination i guess. James
Not at all. It has nothing to do with a lamination.
@JBK. So then something failed to become a lamination and left an imprint? James
Think grease filled die, but the recess was filled with something harder than grease.
Then that filled part fell out of the die and essentially created a struck through error.
@Shurke . The part I find most confusing is the "dropped" reference, It infers that a star from the die somehow broke off and ended up being replicated on the obverse? I have several Seated coins with clash marks. I have a quarter with a piece of wire stuck in the obverse. I have numerous pieces with lint struck thru etc. but i have a hard time thinking a piece of die actually breaking off. Of course making coins today probably has little to due with coins of old. James
The star design was incuse on the die so it could not "break off" the die.
As has been explained, the incuse star on the die became filled with a solid substance (grease/metal filings/etc.), which at some point became dislodged and "dropped" out of the engraved/incuse star on the die. That solid star-shaped debris then "dropped" onto the next planchet (or the lower anvil die) and was then struck into the next coin.
If that struck-through star-shaped debris remained embedded on the OP's coin after it was struck then it would be a retained "dropped star", but the struck-through debris obviously fell out of the OP's coin after it was struck so it left a star-shaped impression.