1894 Indian Head

[boi568]

I just received, via ebay, an 1894 Indian Head penny in AU to low MS brown state, with a die rotation that I would estimate at about 170 degrees clockwise -- the "ONE CENT" legend is almost horizontal and tilts about 10 degrees upward toward the right. The obverse appears weakly struck with minor obverse rim damage 6 denticles wide at about 8 to 9 o'clock (are either an artifact of a mint error?). There are traces of luster on the obverse and significant luster on the reverse.

The seller apparently hadn't noticed the rotation. It's blatantly obvious.

What value premium would attach to this coin? Is this an unusual error for the IH series? I didn't see this one listed in the Rotated Dies Census page.

Thanks.

[diamond]

Rotated die errors are not unusual among 19th century coins. I would expect there is a modest premium attached to it. The rotated die census is by no means thorough.

[robscoins]

Very cool. I've been buying all the Indian cents with rotated dies I've seen in the last few years and have a bunch. Here are some of mine that i have uploaded:

http://s904.photobucket.com/albums/a...Dies/?start=20.

It seems like the copper nickels are more common than ones in the later 1800's. Even though the rotated coin census rates one particular year an R6 (13 to 30 specimens), I have 4. I doubt I have 30% of them, but the census is good to rate relative rarity.


I don't have an 1894 yet by the way!

[boi568]

So what does the census say for the estimated population of 1894 IH rotated dies? How many rotated dies, in general, are this extreme? And is the market so thin that the error premium can't be valued?

Thanks.

[robscoins]

The rotated die census that we're talking about is online --- http://www.rotateddies.com/. 1894 isn't listed, but is probably in the range of 13-30 coins (with rotated dies between 90 and 180 degrees) because other years in that range with that mintage have that rating.

There are so few people collecting them that the premium is low. It doesn't even matter that the supply is low, the demand seems lower. That's one reason I buy so many of them, a very rare thing at a very low cost. I usually see an indian that would otherwise be a $5 coin with a price tag of $50 at a coin show but I never pay more than $25 on the auction sites. i have about a dozen Indians with rotated dies just between 1860 and 1863, and find each one absolutely fascinating.

Some years, like 1864 (bronze with OR without 'L') are actually common, with up to 200 specimens known, but i'd estimate at least 500 because I see them at every single coin show i go to and nearly every week on Ebay.

So what does the census say for the estimated population of 1894 IH rotated dies? How many rotated dies, in general, are this extreme? And is the market so thin that the error premium can't be valued?

Thanks.

[robscoins]

can you post a picture - i want to see the 'damage' you talk about.

[diamond]

A census makes sense only if a rotated die error is fixed. Some are but many aren't. There are plenty of dynamic rotated die errors in which the rotation varies from coin to coin struck by the same press.