US Coins

Varieties Notebook: Collectors share variety finds

Coin World readers outdid themselves this month, submitting a repunched Mint mark variety, one over Mint mark variety, one overdate variety and one doubled die.

Running through them chronologically, the first submission is an 1893-S/S Barber dime from Clark Bossler. It has a strongly repunched S that is described as an S/S East. I have it listed in my files as 1893-S 10¢ WRPM-001. It is illustrated in The Cherrypickers’ Guide to Rare Die Varieties where it is listed as FS-10-1893S-501.

Author and Standing Liberty quarter dollar specialist Robert H. Knauss shared his example of the rare 1918/7-S Standing Liberty quarter dollar overdate variety. It’s a Class III doubled die variety created when a working die with the 1917 date received an impression from a hub bearing the 1918 date.

This one is listed as 1918-S 25¢ WDDO-001 in my files. The Cherrypickers’ Guide lists the variety as FS-25-1918S-101 (008.5). It is easy to see even with low magnification. Prices in recent auction transactions range from $2,350 for a Very Good 10 example to $109,250 for an exceptional Mint State 65 piece.

An over Mint mark variety is from a die that received Mint mark punches for two different Mints. Brian Ribar submitted a 1955-D/S Jefferson 5-cent coin with a D Mint mark from the Denver Mint punched over an S Mint mark of the San Francisco Mint.

The underlying S shows quite clearly above and to the left of the top of the D. Several different 1955 Jefferson 5-cent coin working dies have this OMM variety. It is believed that several S-Mint reverse working dies were left at the end of 1954 and, rather than waste them, the Philadelphia Mint punched a D over the S and shipped them to the Denver Mint for use in 1955. I now list this one as 1955-D 5¢ WOMM-016.

Ryan Magers submitted a 1965 Washington quarter dollar with a nice reverse doubled die. I list it as 1965 25¢ WDDR-002. A Class I counterclockwise spread shows on UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, QUARTER DOLLAR, E PLURIBUS UNUM and the lower leaves.

John Wexler is a renowned numismatic researcher and author on error coins and die varieties.


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