Looking for a new collecting challenge? Try thinking a little eccentrically. Consider one of the most dramatic of major error coins – the off-center strike. The study and collecting of error coins can lead to a much better understanding of the minting process used to coin our nation’s coinage. The off-center strike is a good candidate for a collection because they tend to be eye catching, dramatic, unmistakable, and great conversation pieces. Just show a non-collector an off-center stuck coin and watch their reaction.

I have seen non-collectors or new collectors get more excited over an off-center Lincoln Cent than an AU Charlotte gold coin. Granted they did not know the value or history of Charlotte gold but they did recognize the dramatic and unmistakable error coin.

Error coins such as off-center strikes follow the same rules as their non-error counterparts in terms of grading. In terms of scarcity they also tend to follow their non-error counterparts in so much as the more coins that were originally produced the more potential errors were made

and escaped from the mint thus keeping scarcity somewhat aligned. This works in theory but is not always the case. Also while on the subject of scarcity there are various classes of off-center struck coins – no date, partial date, and full date. One can see that if a small percentage of any mintage is struck off-center in error that only part of them will still retain the area of the design that contains the date and/or mint-mark making full date major off-center coins the scarcest of all and the most desirable. The perfect off-center with only the date showing has had to overcome some pretty long odds.

As the collector begins his foray into off-center coinage he quickly learns a couple of new descriptive attributes used in listing off-centers. The first is a measure of the degree or amount of off-center the error is. This is normal expressed as a percentage. A 5% off-center coin has the majority of the

design present and could easily be missed with a quick glance. On the other hand a 95% off-center coin would appear as near miss with only the smallest portion of the planchet struck with any design and the odds of a full date are slim. The second is the "K" number. This is simply the direction in which the off-center strike appears. Think of the coin as the face of a clock. If you place the coin such that it is orientated in a normal vertical position the hour position which is closest to where the design hit off-center becomes the "K" number. Some collectors even go as far as to divide the coin into 24 sectors by also using the half-hours. A typical description would read "80% Off-Center at K10."

Now that we can describe our off-center coins, how would one go about collecting them? Most start with a denominational type set of the current production designs and then work their way back to earlier types. Some pick one denomination and attempt date sets. Another interesting

collection could be of a progression of greater and greater percentages of off-center in the same clock rotation or one of each clock rotation position with the same percentage of off-center strike arranged as an actual clock face.

A quick survey of our current denominations reveals that the Lincoln Cent is the most readily available struck off-center. Undated Lincoln Cents are usually available for a couple of dollars or so depending on the degree of the

off-center strike. Dated coins of the copper coated zinc era (1982 – Date) are typically available at $3 to $5. You can add about a dollar for a D mintmark coin. I have personally been able to locate all except for the 1986-D at coin shows within the past year. Going back into the bronze era (1959 – 1982) they become much more difficult to find but not impossible. Thus the Memorial series is not unthinkable as a date set. However, if you want to step up to a date and mintmark set you better have your finances in order. The circulating S mintmark cents of 1968 – 1975 command huge premiums. I have had dealers tell me they all are available from time to time but to expect to pay in the $200 - $500 range depending on date. For the type collector I have seen Wheat-back off-centers for sale as well as an occasional Indian. I have not seen any 1943 steel Lincoln off-centers but I’m sure some exist. I have even located large cents and half-cents struck off-center.

Second to the Lincoln Cent in availability is the Jefferson Nickel. I have seen them advertised by date but don’t know how feasible such an endeavor would be. Undated Jefferson Nickels are usually available for a few dollars or so depending on the degree of the off-center strike. Dated coins of modern era are reasonably priced in the $5 to $8 range. I know examples exist of off-center Buffalo and Liberty Nickels. However I am not sure about the Shield or Silver wartime Jefferson Nickels.

The distribution methods used on the Lincoln Cent and the Jefferson Nickel is what makes them more easily attainable than the higher denominations. These are shipped in bulk and sub-divided and rolled by sources outside the mint. It is at this stage where the off-centers are discovered and enter into the collector market. These banks recognize the added value these coins bring and sell them to dealers. I have seen off-center Lincoln Cents in bulk offered for as low as $95 per 100 and this price was already through at least one middleman. Roosevelt Dimes, Washington Quarters, and Kennedy Half-Dollars are much tougher to come by and their pricing reflects it. Undated Roosevelt Dimes are usually available for five dollars or so depending on the degree of the off-center strike. Undated Washington Quarters bring $6 - $10 while undated Kennedy Halves bring $10 - $18 again dependent on the degree of the off-center strike. You can expect to pay premiums for full date major off-centers.

So go ahead and show your eccentric side and start an off-center collection. And if anyone questions your judgment for purchasing these "defective" coins, these "quality rejects" just remind them that they were "close enough for Government work!"