Expert: PAPAJACK - 12/5/2008

Question
I just discovered a Liberty Half Dollar of the 50's Era and the date is missing a number!  The coin date stamp is just 195 and a blank space for the 10th of the decade year.  Is this unusual?  It is also a San Francisco Mint (S).
Thanks, RC

Answer
Hello RC,              

This should be a Franklin-Liberty Bell type if it is a half dollar they were often weakly struck and well circulated.
But I would think from the description you gave me that this is a filled die type error.  

Missing letters and weak strikes are usually caused by a filled die error.

This occurs when grease and/or debris get stuck in the small recesses of the dies that produce the coins design.  When the dies close on the coin blank the portion of the die filled with this grease or debris won’t let the metal flow into it.

The digits in the date are so small and not deeply recessed into the die that they easily become filled and therefore do not strike properly.
Sometimes more than one digit are missing from the date or lettering.
They would have no premium value to collectors since they are not fully struck! Someone may pay for it as a novelty but it would be less than a dollar on the modern copper/nickel coins.

The defect although very common rarely repeats the misprint in exactly the same way on the next coin struck with the same die set. It is a random occurrence and happens in every mint coin run. The coins are not considered more valuable than any other since it is a random defect.

The price you may get for them over the face value depends on what an error collector may pay for the particular coin. It usually has very little added value Less than a dollar and only an interested Error-collector would seek it out.
Since your coin is silver it will sell for more I would say at least 10 times the face value if it has its original surfaces.

Good Question!

If you still want a dealer to look at the piece for you just write and  give me the nearest large Cities, some postal zip codes and telephone area codes I will refer you to an expert in your area.

Thank You and Good Luck,

PapaJack