Liberty mostly missing on majorly misstruck cent

Early error coins from the first decades of the Philadelphia Mint certainly have the ability to get one’s mind wandering.

What did someone think about these pieces centuries ago?

While in the 19th century error collecting did not enjoy the organized and widespread fan base that it does today, some major striking errors that escaped the Mint were kept by people as oddities. Examples of striking errors like off-center coins turn up on occasion, and at its September Long Beach auction, Heritage presented several prime examples in its offering of The Hamilton Collection, Part II.

Here is one of three striking errors from The Hamilton Collection we're profiling in this week's Market Analysis:

The Lot:

1848 Coronet cent, struck 65 percent off-center, ANACS Fine 12

The Price:

$1,880

The Story:

Early errors in well-circulated condition often come with major problems such as harsh cleaning or holes. These early oddities were often tinkered with, but a rare few seem to have enjoyed time as a pocket piece, where they were able to circulate gradually.

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Likely this 1848 Coronet cent, struck 65 percent off-center, would have been taken out and kept as a pocket piece, as it is unlikely that it would have circulated for years. Graded Fine 12 by ANACS, it sold for $1,880 at Heritage’s September Long Beach auction.


Coronet cent

Coronet cent: The increasing sophistication of minting technology was a godsend for production, but it all but eliminated significant die varieties on U.S. coins, including the Late Date Coronet cents of 1840 through 1857. How much are Coronet cents worth?


This example is attributed to the Newcomb 9 variety as listed in United States Copper Cents, 1816-1857 by Howard Newcomb. Though the majority of the design is missing, the die marriage can be tentatively attributed by its date position.

Keep reading this Market Analysis on early U.S. error coins:

1803 Draped Bust half dollar errorWhat a 10 percent off-center 1803 Draped Bust half dollar error looks like and sells for: While early coins struck 3 to 5 percent off-center are found infrequently, those struck 10 percent or more off-center are much harder to come by.

1811 Capped Bust half dollar errorStriking 1811 Capped Bust half dollar error tops $11,000 in auction: This 1811 Capped Bust half dollar is one of the furthest off-center early half dollars that has come to market recently.


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