Expert: Joe Hylas - 12/27/2011

Question
Hey there.

I am new to coin collecting and have come across a quarter that is probably worth .25 but I thought I'd ask.  It's 197? and is either a damaged coin or an actual mis-strike.  The edge is perfectly smooth and about 60% of the circumference is messed up.  It looks to have extra thickness is spots which leads e to believe it was not ground down.  40% of the circumference is perfectly round, and the rest seems to have a wobble shape extending outside of the normal "roundness" also leading me to believe it was not ground down.  

Thanks so much for this service!!!!

Answer
Hi Richard,

There are a couple of possibilities here.

#1 is that the coin was struck without the collar on the blank which would account for the smooth edge and the slightly larger diameter.

#2 is that the coin got stuck in a counting machine that damaged it.

I think you should send the coin to Numismatic Guarantee Corp in Sarasota Florida for authentication.  There is a fee, but if it is a genuine mint error, the $35 cost will come back to you when you sell it.  Not certifying it would make it virtually impossible to sell.  However, there is a chance that it is simply damaged, in which case you will have spent the certification cost for nothing.  Tough call without actually inspecting the coin.

Look on eBay for similar pieces, maybe it will give you a clue.

Good Luck
Joe Hylas
www.AllCoins.US