Error in Indian Coins

TO UNDERSTAND AN ERROR YOU MAY REQUIRE TO KNOW HOW A COINS IS MADE? TO KNOW REFER HERE.

Error can be classified into three categories - 

Planchet Die Strike errors.

STRIKING ERRORS--

EXTREMELY WEAK STRIKE-

This error occurs when a coin is struck from the press with very low pressure. When the press is being set up and adjusted, extremely weak strikes occur as the strike pressure reaches its optimum level. These die trials are destroyed after being struck and are rarely found in circulation. Alternatively these weak strikes may have been made when the coining press is stopped after a day’s work is over. When the coining press is switched off, some last pieces of coins minted, may have received a very weak strike from the coining press.

Courtesy : MR. B. K. KAR.

PARTIALLY WEAK STRIKE-

Here a part of a coin is struck with less force.

HERE THE RUPEES (ENGLISH) IS NOT VISIBLE.

IT WAS STRUCK WITH LESS FORCE.

 Courtesy : MR. SHANTI SWARUP. 

OFF CENTER STRIKES-

Here only part of the coin blank is struck on its both sides.

Courtesy : MR. SHANTI SWARUP.

MIS-ALIGNED DIE STRIKE-

When only one side of the coin is misaligned or off-center and the other side is aligned well, then this type of error originates.

Courtesy : MR. RAJA BISWAS.

BROAD STRIKE-

If the entire design is visible on the off center error coin, it is considered as a broad strike. If, however, any part of the design is missing due to the coin not being centered under the die, then it is considered to be an off center error. The broad strike coins are a bit larger in size than the normal coin.

Courtesy : MR. SURAJIT BISWAS.

Courtesy : MR. SHANTI SWARUP. 

 DOUBLE STRIKE-

When a coin is first struck as a well-centered coin, but is struck again before the coin could leave the coining chamber, a Double Strike coin is created.

Double strikes are of two main types:

i) Double strikes with the second strike OFF CENTER.

In this type of error coin, both sides of the coin shows a normal strike and an off-center double impression.

Courtesy : MR. B. K. KAR.

Courtesy : MR. SHANTI SWARUP. 

ii) Double strikes with both strikes OFF CENTER.

In this type of error coin, both sides of the coin shows both strikes in off-center position.

Courtesy : MR. TEJAS H. SHAH.

FLIPPED DOUBLE STRIKES-

Flipped Double Strikes are first struck normally, then turned up-side-down (and perhaps rotated) and struck again.

Courtesy : MR. B. K. KAR.

DOUBLE DENOMINATION-

 Here one coin is struck on a previously struck coin.

Courtesy : MR. TEJAS H. SHAH

BROCKAGES- (LAKHI)

Brockages are specimens of coins, those are found with normal design on one side and a part of the same design or the same design in full, incused or stamped on the other side also. These are also called as “Lakhi” coins.

Two types of Brockages are generally found-

1) FULL BROCKAGE-

A Full Brockage will have the same picture and wording on both sides of the coin, but on one of those sides, everything is backwards. Also, everything is 'set in' to the coin surface, instead of raised. It results when one of the Coining Dies is completely covered by a previously struck coin.

• OBSERVE FULL

Courtesy : MR. B. K. KAR.

• REVERSE FULL

Courtesy : MR. ABHAY AGRAWAL.

2) PARTIAL BROCKAGE-

• Partial brockage caused when the first coin is a full minted Normal coin:

Courtesy : MR. B. K. KAR.

• Partial brockage caused when the first coin is an off center error coin:

Courtesy : MR. TEJAS H. SHAH.

DIE CAP-

At times, a coin will stick to a die and be struck several times with a die. The more times the coin is struck, the more the metal from the coin moves up and around the die. Some of them can resemble a bottle cap, thus the term DIE CAP.

Courtesy : MR. B. K. KAR.

INDENTS-

An indent error occurs when two blanks are fed inadvertently into the same collar, with one blank partly overlaying on top of the other. When the hammer die strikes this combination, the upper blank will be forced into the lower blank, creating a depression on the lower blank, which is shaped similar to the upper blank. The upper blank gets a shifted image on its upper side, and its lower side having no image at all, thus creating an UNI-FACE strike.

Courtesy : MR. B. K. KAR.

UNI-FACE STRIKES:

 A coin having no design on one of its faces is called an Uni-face coin. We find many types of UNI-FACE coins.

Full design on one side and other side blank: 

It occurs when there have been two blank planchets in the press at the same time, the upper blank fully covering the lower coin blank. The upper blank will obstruct the upper die from having the upper design on the lower blank, and the lower blank will obstruct the lower die from having the lower design on the upper blank. So both the blanks become uni-face coins.

Courtesy : MR. B. K. KAR.

Shifted strike on one side and other side blank: 

It occurs, when there have been two blank planchets in the press at the same time, the upper blank partially covering the lower blank. In this situation, the upper blank will partially obstruct the upper die from having the complete upper design on the lower blank, and the lower blank gets an indent error. As the lower blank completely obstructs the lower die, the upper blank gets no design on its lower side and only gets a shifted strike on its upper side.

Courtesy : MR. B. K. KAR.

Uni-face strike due to a die cap: 

When a die cap remains adhered to a die for a long time, the design on the exposed face of the die cap, becomes indistinct and coins minted at that time are found to be uni-face.

Courtesy : MR. B. K. KAR.

MATED PAIR-

A planchet fall inside the collar and a previously struck coin fall on the collar, partially covering the coin blank. If the two are struck with the dies, you can have a mated pair. Each coin of a mated pair is each struck at least twice. Some may be struck several times. The odds of finding them are very rare.

Courtesy : MR. B. K. KAR.

STRUCK THROUGH ERROR- 

This type of error occurs when a foreign object lies on top of the planchet and leaves an impression of itself when struck into the coin. A wide variety of objects, such as a string, a piece of cloth, a metal wire, hair, plastic articles or staples. etc, have been reported causing this error.

Struck through error on the reverse side:

Struck through error on the obverse side:

Courtesy : MR. SHAKIL AHMED.

BLANK PLANCHET: 

These are of two types: one which has been freshly cut in the blanking press (Type One), and one which has slightly raised rims after going through a softening process (Type Two). They simply slipped by the striking presses.

Courtesy : MR. PRABHUCHANDRAN.

Courtesy : MR. SHANTI SWARUP.

EDGE ERRORS-

 Security Edge Missing: Normally high value coins are produced with a 'Security edge'. This is done to check counterfeiting of coins. Coins having 'security edge' are first struck with the usual upright milling, at the time the obverse and reverse designs are impressed upon them. These are next passed through a second press, where the security mark is put on the edge, under pressure. But, while being fed into the second machine, if a few coins accidentally skip the press, these may go to circulation with normal upright milling. Thus we find another type of error in coin specimens with upright milling which should have a 'security edge'.

Courtesy : MR. B. K. KAR.

DIE CLASH / GHOSTING ERROR: 
When the upper die moves downwards to strike a coin when no coin blank is there in between, both the dies strike each other. At this high pressure of the strike, some designs of the obverse die is left on the reverse die in relief and some designs of the reverse die is left on the obverse die in relief. When any fresh blank is minted by those dies, an incused image of some text or design of the obverse die is found on the reverse side of the coin and vice versa also occurs. This type of error is called Die clash error / Ghosting error.

THE MOST COMMON GHOST ERROR COIN.

RUPEE 1 CELLULAR JAIL.

Courtesy : MR. SANJAY KUMAR JAIN.

PLANCHET ERRORS-

COIN STRUCK ON A WRONG SIZE BLANK:

When a coin is struck on a wrong planchet, this means that a coin was struck on the blank (planchet) that was made for another denomination. Some examples would be a 50 paise planchet struck with rupee dies, a rupee planchet struck with 2 rupees dies. Coins struck on the wrong planchets are rare.

RUPEE 1 COIN STRUCK ON 50 PAISE BLANK.

RUPEES 2 COIN STRUCK ON 1 RUPEE BLANK.

Courtesy : MR. B. K. KAR.

In some minted coins we find a portion of the coin is clipped. These types of error are called a clipped coin error. 4 types of clipped error coins are generally found.

CLIPPED COINS-

i)                    Coins with a straight clip.

Courtesy : MR. SHANTI SWARUP.

A UNIQUE COIN WITH A BROAD STRIKE AND CLIPPED ERROR 

Courtesy :  MR. SHANTI SWARUP.

ii)                   Coins with a curved clip.

Courtesy : MR. SRINIVAS KUMAR.

iii)                  Coins with a multiple clips. 

Courtesy : MR. SHANTI SWARUP.

iv)                  Coins with a ragged clip.

Courtesy : MR. B. K. KAR.

CRACKED COIN BLANK-

Some specimens of minted coins show some cracks . This happens when a CRACKED coin blank is fed to the coining press.

Courtesy : MR. B. K. KAR.

LAMINATION ERROR-

A lamination is a planchet defect originating when a portion of the coin metal separates from itself due to impurities or internal stresses. Lamination flaws occur primarily when foreign materials or gas oxide becomes trapped within the planchet.

Courtesy : MR. SHANTI SWARUP.

DIE ERRORS-

CRACKED SURFACE ERROR-

In this type of error the coins has multiple crack on its lamination. Seems to be a piece of dry land. That is why it is also called DROUGHT error.

Courtesy : MR. SHANTI SWARUP.

DIE AXIS ROTATION-

While minting a coin, both the dies are kept in such a position, that the top most design of the obverse and reverse coin exactly face each other. This type of error occurs, when one of the dies is rotated with respect to the other die. In this type of error, the Obverse / Reverse Die is rotated, anywhere from 5-180 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.

This rotational error is also described by some people as different hours of the clock.

Courtesy : MR. MAYANK AGRAWAL.

DIE BREAKS (CUD ERROR)-

At times, a part of a die breaks and falls off. When a coin blank is minted with this broken die, the missing portion of the die allows the metal of the planchet to fill this broken area, making a raised blank area. This type of error is called a CUD error.

Courtesy : MR. MAYANK AGRAWAL.

DIE CRACK ERROR-

At times, during the minting process, a die develops cracks. Coins minted with that cracked die are known as die crack error coins. The crack may be a single crack or multiple cracks.

----SINGLE---

Courtesy : MR. SHANTI SWARUP.

----MULTIPLE----

Courtesy : MR. TEJAS H. SHAH.

DIE DOUBLING ERROR-

In this type of error coin, one side of the coin shows a normal strike and the other side shows an double impression. Here in the error coin shown below, the reverse side is normal but the obverse side shows doubled impressions.

Courtesy : MR. TEJAS H. SHAH

OTHER ERROR-

PRE-ISSUE-

Netaji Subhash Chandra bose was born in the year 1897. So, 1997 is the centenary year of his birth. But due to mistakes, the Kolkata mint issued a commemorative coin in his honour in the year 1996. This coin was withdrawn due to protest from all circles and re issued in 1997.

Courtesy : MR. B. K. KAR.

WRONG NAME OF THE COUNTRY ON THE COIN:

10 paise coins in FSS were issues from the year 1988. But inadvertently, some coins issued by Kolkata mint in 1988 and 1989, shows the name of the country as “Marat”(मारत )in Hindi, in place of “Bharat” (भारत ). This is one of the most rare error coin. 

Courtesy :  MR. SHANTI SWARUP

ADDITION JEE ERROR-

A 5 rupees commemorative coin was issued in 2007 in commemoration of 150 years of birth anniversary of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Inadvertently, in Hindi his name was written as “Tilakji” in place of “Tilak”. Due to protests from various sectors, this coin was withdrawn, a fresh die was prepared with “Tilak”, new coins were minted and issued. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST RARE ERROR COIN.

Courtesy : MR. B. K. KAR.

I AM VERY THANKFUL TO:-

MR. B. K. KAR.

MR. TEJAS H. SHAH.

MR. SHANTI SWARUP.

MR. MAYANK AGRAWAL.

MR. SRINIVAS KUMAR.

MR. SANJAY KUMAR JAIN.

MR. PRABHUCHANDRAN.

MR. SHAKIL AHMED.

MR. ABHAY AGRAWAL.

MR. RAJA BISWAS.

MR. SURAJIT BISWAS.

THE ABOVE DATA HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM

 beekar-the-numismatist.blogspot.in

en.numista.com