Expert: Dmitry Livshits - 5/2/2010

Question
sir, hello and good day! i've got a yugoslav 10 dinara 1981 that is a small coin at 23mm (like KM#89) although this 1981 coin is supposedly large at 30mm (KM#62) per catalogue - world standard catalog of coins. the catalog for KM#89 only starts in year 1982. picture attached. this seems to be a "freak" coin coz its not in the catalog. how much could it be worth, dmitry?

Answer
Hi Kenneth,
This indeed sounds like a very interesting item. I am not aware of any similar examples. Is it possible that you can upload a clear picture of the coin? If not, then can you tell me the weight?
Also, is there anything unusual about the edge - for, example if the edge is unusually high and if the outer parts of some of the lettering is right on the edge.
Based on the description alone it does sound like a rare error. However, it's something that I would really need to see or have more information about to be certain.
If authentic, this would be an -off-planchet strike, meaning that the 1981 coins was struck on the flan for a 1982 coin. The type of error itself is fairly rare, but there are not any similar Yugoslavian pieces in auction records to compare to.
One thing I can tell you is that the market for modern Yugoslavian coins, even rare ones, is fairly weak at present. It's a coins that would likely sell for no more than a couple hundred dollars, rather than a couple thousand if it were from a country with a strong market. Even then, this coin would need to be certified by one of the reputable grading companies (NGC, PCGS, or ANACS) to have any credibility with error collectors.
Thanks for the question! =)