Heritage’s Jan. 3 Error Coinage U.S. Coins Showcase Auction featured some incredible mistakes.

Leading the sale was an 1864 Shield, Large Motto 2-cent coin graded Mint State 65 brown by Numismatic Guaranty Co. that is an impressive representative of an obverse capped die error type.

As Heritage explains, “The first strike was normal, except the obverse stuck to the obverse die. The reverse of the present coin then acted in place of the obverse die, striking an unknown number of planchets, fed in one at a time. The strikes against the planchets caused the coin to expand, and evenly wrap around the top of the obverse die.”

The result is a dish-shape obverse and a flattened reverse. These are larger than a normal coin, impressive to even noncollectors, and very rare.

The coin sold in the online auction for $45,600.

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