Expert: Ronald Fern - 9/20/2010

Question
QUESTION: I have a 2004 louisiana purchase nickle that is almost black in color. is there any value to this









ANSWER: Hi Lila:

Thanks for your question.

You may have a Jefferson Nickel that was struck on a planchet that was improperly annealed. The annealing process is where the unstruck planchets are heated before striking. These improperly annealed planchets are assumed to have been inadvertently run through multiple cycles in the annealing oven resulting in a "burnt" look to the coins leaving them with a black color, thus the "Black Beauty" label. The coins generally will show a lot of luster. There is also speculation that a copper powder bonds to the coins resulting in their black color - this is also known as "sintering", thus some will call them "Sintered Planchets".

Real  "Black Beauty" nickels normally retail for between $5 to $15 to interested collectors.

It also may have been done after it left the mint. Sometimes people try and fool you into thinking you have a real error coin. There are other examples of coins either being altered or damaged.
See link: http://coinauctionshelp.com/page15.html
See link: http://conecaonline.org/content/OhNo.htm

Check the error category under U.S. coins and currency on eBay from time to time to see if your coin is listed what it brings.

If you live close to a local shop, they should offer an opinion as to the value at no charge. Always try and get at least two opinions and try and deal with PNG dealers if possible. If you should decide to sell your items to a dealer, remember they will offer about 50% to 60% of the retail value. Here's a link to find one in your area: http://www.pngdealers.com/dealersearch.php

Please remember to go to the experts site to rate this answer. Check the nomination box on the rating page below any comments you may have.

Thank You and Good Luck in your collecting.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I also have found a wisconsin error quarter with the lower extra leaf. the coin has not been graded. can you give me a estimated value? please

Answer
Hi Again Lila:

Based on the slight amount of wear on the dies at their retirement, it is estimated that 20,000 of the Low Leaf and 15,000 of the High Leaf varieties made it into a massive coin hopper, and were soon bundled into rolls alongside standard Wisconsin quarters and escaped to the public. Recent sales on eBay of UNC examples of non-slabbed  Low Leaf varieties range from about $60 to a little over $100.

There was some controversy associated with this question. Some experts believed the raised features next to the ear of corn were the result of curved metal shavings becoming accidentally lodged in the coin die, which eventually got pounded into the die itself by the coin striking action, leaving a gouge in the die. As more coins were struck by the same die, coin metal flowed into the gouged recess, giving the coin an appearance of another leaf. Those who subscribe to this theory also point out that these so-called leaves fall far short of proper design definition, are awkwardly placed, and lack texture.

Other observers, equally knowledgeable of the coining process, speculated that this was no mistake at all, that the extra leaves were added deliberately in an unauthorized manner by someone inside the Denver Mint. The basis for this theory is that it seems too coincidental that two random dies (i.e. one for each "extra leaf" variety) independently acquired gouged recesses in just the right spot to give the appearance of an added leaf. The odds of such an event occurring on two different dies are astronomical, they argued, and are far more likely attributed to the intentional efforts of an amateur engraver.

Please remember to go to the experts site to rate this answer. Check the nomination box on the rating page below any comments you may have.

Thanks again, and continued Good Luck in your collecting.