Key Dates, Errors & Die Varieties
Discover the rare coins hiding in plain sight — key dates by denomination, error types, die varieties, and how to cherry-pick valuable coins.
12 parts · Free to read
What Makes a Coin a "Key Date"?
Understanding what makes certain dates and mint marks rare — low mintage, survival rates, hoarding, and market demand.
Key Date Lincoln Cents You Can Still Find
The most sought-after Lincoln cents from 1909-S VDB to modern errors — mintage figures, values, and where to look.
Key Date Nickels: Buffalo & Jefferson
Rare nickels worth hunting — 1913-S Type 2 Buffalo, 1950-D Jefferson, overdate varieties, and war nickel silver content.
Key Date Dimes, Quarters & Half Dollars
Scarce dates across three denominations — 1916-D Mercury dime, 1932-D quarter, 1970-D half dollar, and more.
Key Date Silver Dollars: Morgan, Peace & Trade
The holy grails of dollar collecting — 1893-S Morgan, 1928 Peace, Trade dollar rarities, and what drives their premium values.
Introduction to Error Coins: Types and Terminology
A comprehensive overview of how mint errors happen — planchet errors, die errors, and striking errors explained with examples.
Doubled Dies: How They Happen and Which Are Valuable
The science behind doubled dies, the most famous examples (1955, 1972, 1995 cents), and how to distinguish true doubled dies from machine doubling.
Off-Center Strikes, Broadstrikes & Clipped Planchets
Striking errors that create dramatic visual coins — how they happen, value factors, and what percentage off-center is most desirable.
Wrong Planchet & Multi-Denomination Errors
The rarest mint errors — coins struck on the wrong metal, transitional errors, and the famous mule coins that shouldn't exist.
Die Cracks, Cuds & Die Varieties Explained
Progressive die deterioration — small die cracks to major cuds, retained die breaks, and how die varieties create collectible coins.
Cherry-Picking: How to Find Valuable Varieties in Circulation
The art of finding valuable varieties that others miss — techniques, tools, and the most profitable coins to cherry-pick from rolls and collections.
Reference Books & Online Resources for Variety Collectors
Essential references for error and variety collectors — Cherrypickers' Guide, Wexler files, VarietyVista, and online communities.
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