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Will the 2006 Gold Buffalo Coins with the Red Discloration and Sharp Edges be designated a Mint Erro

CoinWorld 9/11 issue reports that many of the 2006 Uncirculated Gold Buffalo coins are displaying a Red Discoloration along the coin's Border and also includes an Incomplete High Wire Rim sharp enough to cut through the Soft Plastic Packaging. Will this Mint Production Error be the KEY to the Buffalo series ?

Comments

  • FredWeinbergFredWeinberg Posts: 5,925 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I don't believe PCGS will designate the "red stain" as an error.

    We're still trying to figure out exacty what causes it, in the same
    area of all of the coins that exhibit it.

    The "wire rim"/"finned rim" is another story - an argument could
    be made that they are errors, or that they are part of the
    production run, "as struck".

    Finned Rims/Wire rims are usually the result of the Obv. die
    being slightly mis-aligned, in relationship to the collar; if off
    slightly, there is room for the metal to flow up between the
    collar and the die, thereby leaving a high rim of metal, in
    this case, Gold.....

    And yes, these are cutting thru the plastic sheets that the Mint
    puts them in, and are scratching the coins above them!

    I believe the two coins pictured in the CW article are mine; they
    show the "red stain" AND the wire edge.

    Still a bit early to know all the details about them.
    Retired Collector & Dealer in Major Mint Error Coins & Currency since the 1960's.Co-Author of Whitman's "100 Greatest U.S. Mint Error Coins", and the Error Coin Encyclopedia, Vols., III & IV. Retired Authenticator for Major Mint Errors for PCGS. A 50+ Year PNG Member.A full-time numismatist since 1972, retired in 2022.
  • What could possibly be causing a red discoloration, considering that these are pure gold and not alloyed with any copper?
  • Sorry Fred, just missed your post. I guess the stain has nothing to do with the metal composition itself if its on the same place on every coin, thanks for the explanation.
  • FredWeinbergFredWeinberg Posts: 5,925 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The "Red Stain" is in the same area on all of the coins
    seen so far, which apparently is a large number of them.

    It can't be on the planchet, because it's in the same spot.

    It has something to do with the die, but I'm not aware of,
    nor have I seen this before, where something on the die
    would cause a color-change on the coin itself, and strike
    many hundreds of examples (if not thousands).

    We've seen struck thru's, thru grease, plastic die covers,
    unidentified foreign matte, etc, but they leave a "surface
    change", and not a "color change", like these Gold BU Buffs.

    When I toured the West Point Mint almost two years ago, we
    saw nothing in our special Floor Tour that would have indicated
    such an anomoly on the Gold Eagles.....
    Retired Collector & Dealer in Major Mint Error Coins & Currency since the 1960's.Co-Author of Whitman's "100 Greatest U.S. Mint Error Coins", and the Error Coin Encyclopedia, Vols., III & IV. Retired Authenticator for Major Mint Errors for PCGS. A 50+ Year PNG Member.A full-time numismatist since 1972, retired in 2022.
  • errormavenerrormaven Posts: 1,170 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    Finned Rims/Wire rims are usually the result of the Obv. die
    being slightly mis-aligned, in relationship to the collar; if off
    slightly, there is room for the metal to flow up between the
    collar and the die, thereby leaving a high rim of metal, in
    this case, Gold.....

    >>



    While finned rims are occasionally associated with misalignments, the majority are not. Just as the majority of misalignments are not associated with finning.

    Finning is evidently the result of excessive overall striking pressure or increased striking pressure at one pole caused by a slight degree of die tilt. The increased pressure causes coin metal to squeeze into the narrow gap between die neck and collar.
    Mike Diamond is an error coin writer and researcher. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those held by any organization I am a member of.

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