Language
Country/Area
No result found
How do errors in the minting process affect coins? Learn more about the causes of degenerate doubles!
A common error in U.S. and Canadian coin production is called "degenerate doubles," which occur when the dies used to make the coin degrade. This happens with nearly every series of coins issued by the United States Mint today, and again the reasons are varied.
Causes
Degradation doubles can occur for many reasons, including errors in the mold making process, overuse, and improper preparation and handling procedures.
Welding Error
During the welding process of mold making, two common mistakes will lead to poor mold results. Although these errors cannot be discovered in time during the production process, they will cause the mold to become fragile and prone to rapid degradation.
Excessive use of molds
In the modern coin minting process, each die can punch approximately 120 coins per minute. Obviously, such a quantity will accelerate the wear of the mold. Copper and nickel, as the main metals, will quickly wear out the mold under long-term use.
Identifying Degenerate Double Images
Although it is simple to identify degenerate double images, it is often difficult to distinguish them with the naked eye. The characteristics of degenerate double images often cause them to be mistaken for other types of double images, such as mother mold double images, which have completely different causes from degenerate double images.
Degenerate doublets often appear around the date and mint marks on coins because these details stand out relatively well on the obverse of the coin.
Types of Degenerate Double Images
There are two main types of degenerate twins: internal wear twins and external wear twins. These two types of double images manifest differently and have different causes due to different wear locations.
Impact on coin collectors
Many beginners believe that coins with degenerate double images are extremely valuable, but in fact the value of such coins is often only slightly higher than the face value.
Many collectors purchase these coins only to find that they are common degenerate errors and not rare varieties.
In summary, degenerate double images are a common problem in the coin making process. Although it does not affect the basic function of the coin, it has a certain impact on the coin collecting market. Faced with this phenomenon, coin collectors should have certain professional knowledge to avoid being misled. So, have you ever suspected that the coins in your hand actually hold such secrets?
