We’ve looked at all the different types of clips before and how they’ve occured but how can you really tell if you have a genuine clip or not?

Often it is difficult to tell if a clip is a genuine error from the mint or if someone has simply used a guillotine or tin snips to manufacture the defect. There are a few distinguishing features that will help you determine a genuine coin clip. A genuine clip will show at least one of these effects.

1. The Blakesley Effect: named after the American numismatist who first described this defect. It occurs as a weakness on the rim opposing the clip site. This only occurs on coins in which the planchets have been pre-rimmed before striking. Coins that are rimmed during the striking process of the coin such as the Australian 50c will not show the Blakesley effect. You can see an example of this effect in the right image outlined in red below.

2. Fish-Tailing: is a deformation of the lettering in the legend or on the design around the clip site. Instead of the edges of the letters being straight, they have an inward lip and the metal has flowed outwards at the edges. Due to the incomplete planchet (the clip) the metal has not been contained during the striking so the edges of the letters or edges of the design have fish-tailed outwards. This will occur on the lettering or on any part of the design near the clip site. Often this might only be distinguishable under magnification, the image below left has been highlighted so you can see the fishtailing affecting this halfpenny.

3. Strike Weakness: will sometimes occur near the clip site. This is due to the planchet being slightly thinner on the edge at the clip. Because of the missing metal it will flow into the void creating a weak strike or a weakness in the area near the clip. This is clearly shown in the image below left.

A genuine 1961 halfpenny clip showing all 3 effects (highlighted in red)

Australia 2010 Upset 50c

An upset coin is produced during minting when the dies for the reverse and obverse of the coin are not aligned correctly. This may be because it was incorrectly installed in the press or it rotated during the production run of coins.

For Australian coins if you hold the reverse of the coin upright with a thumb and forefinger on the top and bottom edge you should be able to rotate the coin around to view the obverse which will be upright also. Australian coins are minted in what is known as ‘medal alignment’ -the back and front or heads and tails are both upright when viewed. Coins from other countries such as the USA for example mint their coins in what is known as ‘coin alignment’. This means if you hold the reverse of a ‘coin alignment coin’ (such an an American quarter) upright and rotate the coin around to view the obverse it will be upside down (in contrast to Australian coins).

A regular coin should have the Queen (or King) look at you straight on. During minting one of the dies might not be aligned correctly or might rotate during the production run. When turning the coin around, if a coin is an upset it will show the obverse (Queen’s side) facing anything but upright. She may be leaning over to the right 90 degrees (a 90 deg upset) or upside down (180 degree upset). You may find these upset errors in any number of degrees of the clockface.

If one side of the coin is only rotated a small amount, up to say 15 deg (or 1 o’clock) it won’t be considered an upset. This angle may be considered normal as there is a small allowance (tolerance) for slight angle movement in the struck coin. Pre-decimal coins may often have a slight degree of upset which is considered normal which is not so common in decimal coins.

Australia 2001 Upset $1

During one production run of 2001 Centenary of Federation Dollars at the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra this error occurred. Collectors have found varying degrees of upset coins ranging the entire clockface from 1 degree to 359 degrees. In this case during only one production run the obverse die rotated throughout the run causing the varying degrees of upset.

Other significant decimal coins which can be found with a rotated die are 1966 5 cent, 1966 10 cent, 2001 platypus 20c and 2010 50 cent coins. Interestingly with the 50c rotation, because of the 12 sides it’s believed that one die was either incorrectly installed in the press or was hubbed rotated just one angle of alignment out, 30 degrees or one side.

An upset coin will demand a premium over it’s regular counterpart. The degree of upset will also determine how collectable it is. A Federation $1 upset pulled from circulation with a 90 degree angle may fetch $20 or more depending on it’s condition so it’s worth looking out for this error in your change. It is also a coin that is not impossible to find! These Federation upsets are the most common upset coins to find. Any other upset of another denomination or a pre-decimal upset with a high rotation will certainly command a higher premium as they are much less common.

1966 10 cent Upset Variety

Australian 19?? Half Penny – Rotated Double Strike

Previously we talked about double struck coins errors but this entry largely covered double struck coins where the coin had been struck once and then partially left the coining chamber before being struck again. This results in two clearly visible strikes to the coin, with one partially overlapping the other.

There is a slightly different class of double struck coin known as the rotated double struck coin which we’ll speak about here.

The rotated double strike error occurs when a coin is struck and is ejected from the coining chamber but the struck coin falls back into the press. It is then struck again (within the collar) but the coin had rotated slightly so the result is two strikes to the coin that are rotated with respect to each other.

Above you can see an Australian half penny of indeterminate year that has been struck twice. You can see the results of the first strike clearly, with the second portrait visible at about 45 degrees to the correctly oriented portrait. You can also see a second kangaroos tail at 45 degrees to the first on the reverse of the coin. It appears that this coin rotated about 45 degrees counter clockwise (viewed from the obverse) when it was struck the second time. The second two figures of the date in both strikes has been obliterated by the other strike so it’s impossible to say what year this coin is dated.

Australian 1964 Penny – Rotated Double Strike

Above is another rotated double strike. This time it is an Australian 1964 Penny. This coin has rotated nearly 90 degrees clockwise (viewed from the obverse) after the first strike. You can see this clearly on the reverse with the first set of kangaroo front legs emerging from the hind legs of the second strike. It’s not entirely clear in the image but you can also see the ribbon on the back of HM’s hair from the first strike in the middle of HM’s head from the second strike.

The coin below, again a 1964 penny rotated only a small amount and is clearly seen with a second date below on the reverse, another A at the end of AUSTRALIA and a multiple forehead on the Queen.

Another 1964m Penny Double Strike

We’ve spoken before about broadstrike error coins. There can be varying degrees of a broadstruck coin and as the size of the error increases and there begins to be missing elements of the coin then it becomes an off center strike. These off centre strikes are probably the most common and well known of errors as they are often very obvious and can be very spectacular errors.

Australian Threepence Off Centre Error

The off center coin error is a massive variation on the out of collar error. In this case the blank is not fed into the press properly and lands in the collar incorrectly. For the off center strike only part of the blank is struck by the upper and lower dies. This results in only part of the design being struck on the coin and a coin that is not it’s usual round shape. Because of their unusual shape they are commonly picked up before they leave the mint or in rolling machines by security companies. They are most often explained as their % amount off centre.

This kind of coin error is worth a lot, many selling for hundreds if not thousands of dollars in high grade.

Australia $1 1985-1991 Mob of Roos Off Centre Error

There are 3 different dies that strike a coin blank to make a coin. The obverse (heads) side, the reverse (tails) side and the collar die. The reverse die usually on the bottom is recessed below the collar. The collar die may seem insignificant but it is extremely important part of getting the strike correct and centered on the coin. The collar die holds the planchet so the two other dies can strike and effect the design on the coin precisely. The collar die also adds edge milling or reeding to some coins.

Occasionally during striking the blank doesn’t fall correctly into place. If there is a malfunction of the press particularly with the collar die or how the coin is held in place by the collar then you can end up with a whole range of errors or effects.

Straight Partial Collar
A straight partial collar occurs when the coin planchet falls into the chamber to be struck but is squarely disengaged from the collar die. The coin blank isn’t sitting correctly in the chamber so when it is struck the result is a semi struck edge but the same all the way around the coin edge.

Australia 2007 $2 Straight Partial Collar Error

Tilted Partial Collar
A tilted partial collar occurs the same as the straight partial collar but the coin is only partially out of the collar. This results in a line around the outside edge of the coin but this is on an angle possibly higher on one side than the other. This can often result in a slightly higher edge on one side of the coin which may also give the impression or a double or extended rim on the coin. This is quite often confused with a mule coin. You can refresh your memory on what a real mule coin is in our post about the $1/10c mule. For a coin with milling on its edge it is easy to see the effect of the collar only being partially engaged. A coin with a plain edge is slightly different. It may show signs of a “railroad” rim which resembles an edge like railroad track.

Australia 2000 20 Cent Tilted Partial Collar Error

1956 Florin Out of Collar Error