These two errors are confused by many! So lets try to make them a little clearer for you.    Off Center is a Planchet that was struck partially out from under the dies. It will be missing some of the design of the intended coin. Example: it will be missing a portion of "In God We Trust", "Liberty", or other design on a Lincoln Cent. Only part of the intended design for a coin will be struck into the planchet. It can be from 5% to 95% Off Center, BUT a portion of the design MUST be missing.

   A Broadstrike is a similar error, but is NOT missing any design. It will appear larger than a regular struck coin, because it was struck out of its Collar. It can look Off Center and still be a Broadstrike, if NONE of the design of the coin is missing! On coins that have reeded edges, there can be no evidence of any reeding.. (OK, a tiny bit of slight reeding may be allowed.) Any coin with partial reeding is considered a Partial Collar error.

   SO! Off Centers MUST be missing a some of the design. Broadstrikes MUST HAVE all the design and lettering, but NO reeding.

   Partial collars will look like a Broadstrike and have a Railroad rim like edge. That's from being struck only partially out of Collar.

   Some of these terms seem confusing? we recommend the "Error Coin Encyclopedia", see some Numismatic book suppliers in our Link page.

   Have a question on a particular error? Email us and we will try to address it in a future article.

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All content in this newsletter is the opinion of the author and should not be taken as sound investment advice.