Error Coins - Die Making Errors - Part 2

This article gives out information on types of error coins. As the number of error coins classification is quite large, the article is divided into 6 Parts.

Part 1: Design Errors
Part 2: Die Making Errors
Part 3: Planchet Errors
Part 4: Strike Errors
Part 5: Strike Errors Continued
Part 6: Mules

Die Making Errors:
This section gives out the errors introduced during the creation of Master Die, working hubs and working dies.

Die Doubling:
This type of error happens during the hubbing process, when the Die and Hub are not aligned properly during hubbing process.

Date Doubling [Slight Mis-Alignment]:
As explained the Coin Minting process, the Date and mint marks are typically introduced during the creation of working die. Typically the date is manually imprinted on the working die. At times due to incorrect positioning of the hand punch that is required to impress multiple times to get the correct incuse of date, hence all the other features of the coin are correct but the date shows doubling.

Date Doubling [Double Punching]:
As explained the Coin Minting process, the Date and mint marks are typically introduced during the creation of working die. In this type of error, an working die that already had a date is punched again . There are can be quite a bit of difference in the re-punch. This results in strange date as showm below. Also notice the double mint marks. However there will be no doubling of the other features of the design.

Missing Complete or Partial Date[1]:
As explained the Coin Minting process, the Date and mint marks are typically introduced during the creation of working die. In this type of error, the working die was not punched with date. At times in order to ease the date punching, part of the date is already punched on the Master Die and only the last digits are punched on the working dies. Here this working die missed the date punching.


Misplaced Mint Mark:
As explained the Coin Minting process, the Date and mint marks are typically introduced during the creation of working die. At times the mint mark is not in the place it is intended to be. It’s misplaced because the worker was not careful in punching out the mint mark.

In the coin below, the Hyderabad mint mark (*) is normally[2] between the second and third number of the year. In this case it’s misplaced to first and second.

Note:
[1] There are quite a few fakes of this type in the market. The simplest technique is to use a lathe machine are remove off the date portions.
[2] The exception being the 50 Paise definitive coin of 2002, the mint mark for all mints is between first and second digit similar to error coin.



Missing Mint Mark:
As explained the Coin Minting process, the Date and mint marks are typically introduced during the creation of working die. In this type of error, the working die was not punched with mint mark. This kind of error is difficult to identify in Indian Coinage as Kolkata [Previously Calcutta] mint does not use any mint mark. Thus if a particular coin was minted from Kolkata as well as other mints, the missing mint mark would make the coin as minted from Kolkata rather than as error from other mint.


In the recent times the Rs 5 Commemorative of C Subramaniam was issued from Mumbai mint and does not have mint mark. However the coins bags have the Mumbai Mint details, clearly indicating that the coins were issued from Mumbai mint. However in absence of any clarification from mint, it’s not clear if the coins were minted by Mumbai mint erroneously or were minted by Kolkata mint and bagged by Mumbai mint [unlikely].