Wonder what would happen to Director Moy if something like this was discovered on his watch???
Goldbully
Posts: 18,495 ✭✭✭✭✭
Has the U.S. Mint ever had a "spelling error" variety coin??? 
Reuters: "Mint fires boss over coin typo"
SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile's mint has sacked its managing director after he sent into circulation thousands of coins bearing an incorrect spelling of the country's name.
The 50-peso coins, worth around 10 U.S. cents each, were issued in 2008 with Chile spelled "Chiie" -- an error that was only noticed late last year.
"Director Gregorio Iniguez has been fired over a series of issues, including the misspelled coins, which have brought the institution into disrepute," a mint official told Reuters on Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"Some of the coins are still in circulation. They still carry their value. Some collectors are buying them up because they feel they are rare," the official said.
Linky
From the Santiago Times:
Official Fired For Chile’s Coin Misprint Scandal
Written by Kamille Go
Monday, 15 February 2010 04:57
“I was fired for making a human error”
Look closely at most 50 peso coins printed in 2009 and you’ll notice something peculiar. Instead of saying “Chile” the coin reads “Chiie.” Although he was recently fired for the error, coin engraver Pedro Urzua Lizana insists that his dismissal from Chile’s Central Bank was unjustified.
No “i” in team but two in Chiie.
Photo courtesy Condeorloff
The error, which was first revealed by El Mercurio in December 2009, is on the head side of more than 1 million 50 Chilean peso coins (about US$0.10). Several thousand of these coins are assumed to still be in circulation in the country.
Government officials assure that the flawed coins retain their same value, but with the possible bonus of added novelty.
Coin collector Joaquin Morales first noticed the misprint in 2009 and immediately notified the Casa de la Moneda. Following the discovery, minting facility supervisor Victor Aravena confiscated the defective cast and said, “We won’t tell anyone about this,” claims Lizana.
La Casa de la Moneda demanded a recall of the 2009 misprinted coins, while the Central Bank reportedly avoided recognizing the error.
When the notorious “double i” was publicized by El Mercurio, the Central Bank ignored the discovery because they knew the fact that they had kept silent about the problem when they had known earlier would look bad,” said Lizana.
“I was fired for making a human error…but the situation is treated as if it were an intentional act,” said Lizana , who is trying to dispel rumors of sabotage.
Lizana and two other former mint employees, including national mint director Gregorio Iniguez, are currently under investigation for the alleged coin production tampering.
They are also being investigated for various other suspicious coin cast irregularities, as well as the absence of minting tools from factory inventory. Their hearing is set for April 12.
SOURCES: LA TERCERA, ASSOCIATED PRESS, AFP
By Kamille Go
From MercoPress
Monday, February 15th 2010 - 06:33 UTC
Chilean mint house chops heads for circulating 50-pesos “collection” coins
Heads are rolling at the Chilean mint after a coin went into circulation which mangled the country's name. The 50-peso coins - worth about 6p - were issued in 2008, but no-one noticed they read “Chiie” rather than “Chile” until late last year.
Several employees are reported to have been fired over the error.
One worker, Pedro Urzúa, told Chilean newspaper El Mercurio: “I've faced accusations that the word 'Chiie' was intentional, but it was a mistake that I didn't notice - and neither did anyone in the chain of people that saw the coin and approved it afterwards.”
Other recent problems to beset the mint include a mix-up last year when a very valuable medal was sold without permission.
A director told the paper that the mint, named Casa de Moneda, needs better internal controls and improved technology.
“It's like going into a Dickensian factory,” he said.
Meanwhile the misspelled coins - which will remain in circulation - have become collector's items, with people hoarding them in the hope their value will increase”.
Linky 2
Reuters: "Mint fires boss over coin typo"
SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile's mint has sacked its managing director after he sent into circulation thousands of coins bearing an incorrect spelling of the country's name.
The 50-peso coins, worth around 10 U.S. cents each, were issued in 2008 with Chile spelled "Chiie" -- an error that was only noticed late last year.
"Director Gregorio Iniguez has been fired over a series of issues, including the misspelled coins, which have brought the institution into disrepute," a mint official told Reuters on Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"Some of the coins are still in circulation. They still carry their value. Some collectors are buying them up because they feel they are rare," the official said.
Linky
From the Santiago Times:
Official Fired For Chile’s Coin Misprint Scandal
Written by Kamille Go
Monday, 15 February 2010 04:57
“I was fired for making a human error”
Look closely at most 50 peso coins printed in 2009 and you’ll notice something peculiar. Instead of saying “Chile” the coin reads “Chiie.” Although he was recently fired for the error, coin engraver Pedro Urzua Lizana insists that his dismissal from Chile’s Central Bank was unjustified.
No “i” in team but two in Chiie.
Photo courtesy Condeorloff
The error, which was first revealed by El Mercurio in December 2009, is on the head side of more than 1 million 50 Chilean peso coins (about US$0.10). Several thousand of these coins are assumed to still be in circulation in the country.
Government officials assure that the flawed coins retain their same value, but with the possible bonus of added novelty.
Coin collector Joaquin Morales first noticed the misprint in 2009 and immediately notified the Casa de la Moneda. Following the discovery, minting facility supervisor Victor Aravena confiscated the defective cast and said, “We won’t tell anyone about this,” claims Lizana.
La Casa de la Moneda demanded a recall of the 2009 misprinted coins, while the Central Bank reportedly avoided recognizing the error.
When the notorious “double i” was publicized by El Mercurio, the Central Bank ignored the discovery because they knew the fact that they had kept silent about the problem when they had known earlier would look bad,” said Lizana.
“I was fired for making a human error…but the situation is treated as if it were an intentional act,” said Lizana , who is trying to dispel rumors of sabotage.
Lizana and two other former mint employees, including national mint director Gregorio Iniguez, are currently under investigation for the alleged coin production tampering.
They are also being investigated for various other suspicious coin cast irregularities, as well as the absence of minting tools from factory inventory. Their hearing is set for April 12.
SOURCES: LA TERCERA, ASSOCIATED PRESS, AFP
By Kamille Go
From MercoPress
Monday, February 15th 2010 - 06:33 UTC
Chilean mint house chops heads for circulating 50-pesos “collection” coins
Heads are rolling at the Chilean mint after a coin went into circulation which mangled the country's name. The 50-peso coins - worth about 6p - were issued in 2008, but no-one noticed they read “Chiie” rather than “Chile” until late last year.
Several employees are reported to have been fired over the error.
One worker, Pedro Urzúa, told Chilean newspaper El Mercurio: “I've faced accusations that the word 'Chiie' was intentional, but it was a mistake that I didn't notice - and neither did anyone in the chain of people that saw the coin and approved it afterwards.”
Other recent problems to beset the mint include a mix-up last year when a very valuable medal was sold without permission.
A director told the paper that the mint, named Casa de Moneda, needs better internal controls and improved technology.
“It's like going into a Dickensian factory,” he said.
Meanwhile the misspelled coins - which will remain in circulation - have become collector's items, with people hoarding them in the hope their value will increase”.
Linky 2
0
Comments
I think it might depend on the political affiliation of the mint director as to whether a firing would be justified.
This really has nothing to do with the Chiie 50 peso coin, but I have often wondered about the Peace dollar with
"In God We Trvst" on the obverse.
Now, I have heard the explanation many times, but it still does not make much sense to me.
Why use only 'one' latin letter in 'one' place on the 'entire' coin?
The reverse does not say
'Vnited States of America',
nor does it contain the phrase
'E pluibvs Vnvm'.
"In God We Trvst" on the obverse.***
shrewd, shrewd, shrewd Lewy!!!
You really crack me up!!!
Your so called "lack of numismatic acumen" is certainly not on display on this forum!
<< <i>He did not get fired for the Wisconsin Extra Leaves. >>
Or the "godless" dollars. Or a few of the other mistakes.
I've been told I tolerate fools poorly...that may explain things if I have a problem with you. Current ebay items - Nothing at the moment
Heads may roll yet!!!
As the US Mint relies more and more upon computers to design their coins, its ONLY a question of time before a lower case L or I or 1 gets screwed up by somebody somewhere along the line.
I could easily see the " il " letter combination getting misinterpreted as ll for that Chilean coin but its still quite funny.
The name is LEE!
<< <i>I have often wondered about the Peace dollar with "In God We Trvst" on the obverse. >>
The Peace dollar wasn't the only one...or even the first.
Lance.
<< <i>
<< <i>I have often wondered about the Peace dollar with "In God We Trvst" on the obverse. >>
The Peace dollar wasn't the only one...or even the first.
Lance.
Lance, you da' man!!!
recall.
Lance.
<< <i>“I was fired for making a human error…but the situation is treated as if it were an intentional act,” said Lizana >>
Well, when you are the person responsible for engraving a coin, and you misspell the name of your country, calling it "human error" is kind of whitewashing the situation.
New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
<< <i>
<< <i>I have often wondered about the Peace dollar with "In God We Trvst" on the obverse. >>
The Peace dollar wasn't the only one...or even the first.
Lance.
Well now.......that bare breast may have been unintentional, but I still believe the SLQ is the most beautifully designed coin ever minted by the USA
<< <i>
Well now.......that bare breast may have been unintentional, but I still believe the SLQ is the most beautifully designed coin ever minted by the USA >>
Agreed on the obverse. I always thought the walking half reverse was much better though.
helps explain the rash of Chile major error coins
that have come on the market in the past two
years or so.
There's been some dramatic major errors, and
some 'made up' errors that were done on purpose,
and somehow smuggled out of that particular
Mint.
SANTIAGO, Chile — An engraver fired by Chile's mint for an error that led to the release of 1.5 million coins featuring the country of "CHIIE" said Friday that his bosses deliberately covered up the mistake.
The error showed up on Chilean 50-peso pieces for the year 2009.
Engraver Pedro Urzua Lizana told The Associated Press he unknowingly left off the bottom part of the letter "l" when, in December 2008, he was hurriedly fixing a minor deformity in the original mold for making the dies to stamp out the coin.
The coins were released to the public last year but no one at the mint, including himself, knew about the error until a coin collector called in October to point it out, he said.
Once informed, officials at the mint fixed the stamp for future 50-peso pieces, but sent another batch of bad coins to the Central Bank without telling officials there of the error, Urzua said. Those coins never were released to the public, he said.
Various officials at the mint, including the head of Urzua's department, asked "that we not say anything to anyone" about the error, he said.
The Central Bank, which issues the coins, did not learn of the error until it was reported by the newspaper El Mercurio in December, the same month that Urzua was fired, the engraver said. The head of his department was fired in January.
The press department at the mint said Friday that officials would not comment. No one could be reached at the Central Bank.
The 50-peso piece is 2.5 centimeters across, just under an inch — making it difficult to immediately see on the faulty coins that Chile is spelled "Chiie."
Urzua is suing the mint for denying him severance pay — based on what he says is the mint's false claim that he was doing work for other employers at his house, something forbidden in his contract.
AP Link