The official auctions by Stack’s Bowers Galleries and Heritage Auctions at the August 2016 American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money had something for everyone.

As Bill Gibbs discussed in his feature on error coins in the September monthly edition of Coin World, errors are among the most visually dramatic products to come out of the U.S. Mint and the ANA auctions had dozens of examples at nearly all price levels.

Here is one of three coins struck on the wrong planchets that caught my eye.

The Lot:

1989-D Lincoln cent struck on a pre-1983 copper cent planchet, PCGS MS-65

The Price:

$3,525

The Story:

In 1982 the Mint transitioned from the cent’s traditional 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc composition (bronze) to a planchet that was nearly entirely zinc with a copper plating. While 1982 cents of both compositions were struck, a few 1983 Lincoln cents were struck on bronze planchets by mistake and some of these circulated briefly before being captured by sharp-eyed collectors.

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At Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ Aug. 11 Rarities Night sale, the firm offered the only known 1989-D Lincoln cent struck on a pre-1983 plan­chet, graded Mint State 65 red by Professional Coin Grading Service.

As the auctioneer observed, “It is remarkable for an error of this type to exist on a coin so far removed in time (seven years) from the changeover in composition.” The description tried to equate the offered coin to 1943 Lincoln cents struck on bronze planchets, or at least 1983 Lincoln cents struck on bronze planchets, but the 1989 error failed to reach those price levels and sold for a modest $3,525. 

Keep reading about notable error coins sold during the 2016 ANA convention:

When a first-year Sacagawea dollar was struck on an Anthony dollar planchet

What a 1942 Walking Liberty half dollar struck on a quarter planchet sells for