Brockage Coins
Generally speaking, the more obvious an error, the rarer and more valuable the coin is. And one of the most obvious errors is what’s known as a brockage.
A brockage occurs when an already struck coin sticks to the die and fails to eject from the coin press causing its design to be stamped onto a blank planchet in a reverse or mirrored image. The offending coin can stick to either the top or bottom die resulting in an obverse brockage or a reverse brockage, respectively.
The History of Brockages
Obverse brockages were common on hammered coins made by hand since it was easy for a coin to get stuck in the top die without a worker noticing it. Reverse brockages were rare because a coin stuck on the bottom, or anvil, die was easy to see. When brockages were noticed, the mint worker sometimes would simply restrike the coin to impress the correct image over the brockage, but traces of the brockage might remain.
With the spread of machine-made (milled) coins in the 1700s, the number of brockages decreased dramatically. But when high-speed coin making equipment began appearing in the 19th century, close individual coin inspection became less practical. Consequently, brockages began occurring more frequently in the past 100-150 years.
Types of Brockages
Brockages can be complete or incomplete, depending on whether it covers the entire coin or only a part of it. They can also vary in intensity depending on when the brockage occurred.
A single or early brockage where the stuck coin is still crisp and leaves a distinct impression is called a first-strike brockage. If a coin remains stuck to the die for multiple strikes, it begins to spread and wear and the brockages become less distinct creating early-, mid-, and late-stage brockages. Late stage brockages can result in nearly all the coin’s detail being flattened into obscurity.
Some brockage coins have a similar appearance to coins made from clashed dies (dies which strike one another when a coin blank isn’t in the press), and even experts often disagree over which error a coin exhibits.
Brockage Coin Values
First-strike, complete brockages have the reversed image plainly visible in high relief. These so-called mirror brockages are rare and highly sought after.
19th and 20th century complete brockage coins in Extra Fine or better condition can bring from several hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on rarity. Three-cent nickels go for 5-6 thousand dollars and an uncirculated Eisenhower dollar can bring as much a $7,500. Modern nickels and dimes, on the other hand, go for as little as $75, still a nice return on face value.
Interestingly, errors on medieval and ancient coins usually decrease their collectible value.
Collecting Error Coins
There are thousands of error coins of various types still in circulation, so if collecting them appeals to you, learn as much as you can about the subject. Books and articles are available online, and there’s an organization called CONECA devoted to the education of error and variety coin collectors. Visit their website, conecaonline.org, for more information.
