Expert: Dmitry Livshits - 9/20/2010

Question
QUESTION: respected sir
I am a novice. please guide me
1.whether following defination of 'DIE CRACK ERROR' as given on 'http://errorcoin.blogspot.com' is correct:

"DIE CRACK ERROR: When coins are minted using broken die or if during the minting process the die breaks/chips, the coins minted in that process are known as die crack error coins."

2. whether the coin of which scan image is attached here has mint error of 'DIE CRACK ERROR'

best regards
som


ANSWER: Hi Som,
The definition given is not exactly correct. A die crack is specific to a crack in the die, which looks like a raised line on the surface of a coin (see attached picture). A chip in the die is known separately as a die chip error. Actually, the picture that the blog uses for a die crack is not a die crack at all. That coin has a large de-lamination error, also known as a LAM. Here, the metal has peeled off the surface of the planchet the coin was struck on. There is nothing wrong with the die itself in the picture on the blog.
I do not see any die crack on the surface of your coin. It looks like some discoloration, which may be due to improper mixing of the metals that make up the coin (this is also another error, known as an annealing error).
To tell you the truth, none of these errors really add to the value unless they are very large or , for a die crack or chip, in an interesting spot. These are all common errors and one is not more valuable than the others. The really valuable errors are wrong metal or planchet, double die, double or multiple strikes or strong off-center strikes (also especially on bi-metallic coins).
Thanks again for the questions! =)

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

QUESTION: respected sir

many thanks for your prompt answer with illustration.

very kindly indicate to me web addresses dealing with error coins with illustration.

regards
som

Answer
Hi again Som,
The best site I know of is http://www.worlderrors.com/
A couple of other useful sites are:
http://minterrornews.com/priceguide.html (US coins only)
and
http://conecaonline.org/content/foreign_errors_vars.htm (world coins)

Thanks again! =)