Die chips ahoy!

[KurtS]

Ok, that's a corny title. But have a look at all these die chips!

A friend in Australia sent me this 2001 Australian Centenary coin filled with die chips in the lettering!

click to see the chips full-size (shown by arrows)

[Robert]

That has to be some kind of record! I wonder what happened. Was the die improperly heat treated?

[KurtS]

Robert, I showed this coin to some Aussies, and they have a few of these with similar chips. I can only guess it's somewhat common for this coin.

[Dick]

kURT, THE QUESTION THAT WOULD FOLLOW IS WERE THE COINS THE "AUSSIES" REFERRING TO, OF THE SAME DATE? sorry about the caps. I just noticed them!
Dick

[KurtS]

Dick, certainly! Since this was a commemorative coin, all the others have the same date (2001). I'm sorry if I wasn't clearer--I did not show the whole coin.

And take a look at this coin posted by an Australian! Judging by the chip between AT in CELEBRATING (and the base of the N too!), this might be the same die. However, notice the chip in the H of THE--perhaps mine is an earlier die state?

[Dick]

Kurt, yours has to be much earlier! notice the "coastline, next to "ting". There is a good indication of fatigue, and an eminant shatter of the die.
Both coins are very nice. Good shot by the "Aussie".
Dick

[coop]

I have a feeling that there are not the same die. With the difference in breakdown of the dies pictured, look at the break between AT on CELEBRATING. On Kurts example his break is wider in that place. Seems like it should be smaller or not even there. It may have been a bad design or poor quality metals in the dies that struck these two coins. It happens..............

[KurtS]

Dick, you know...I can barely see a similar contour of weakness there under TING along the coastline.

Coop, you may be right...I was just struck by the similarities. Could the apparent differences between the AT chip be due to the photo? Taking my coin under a loupe, the chip is very similarly shaped. Then there's that chip at the base of the N, and that tiny crack at the top of the G in TING--there too! Could inherent design flaws but different dies account for that...I suppose I'd need both coins side-by-side to be sure. Btw--the other coin pictured above has similar chips in the lettering on the obverse.

[coop]

If you had both coins, then I would look for similar gouges in a different area of the coin. I did note the similar mark next to the G.

Some Countries are not as concerned with quality control of their coinage, others are. I found what I thought was a Coin from Mexico with a doubled die on it. Then I found out later that it was common for them to look that way.


So I don't know how Aussy standards are for their coinage? If it happens a lot, then it would be common. If rare, then it might be a collectable. Kind of the gold & sand thing. Because gold is in shorter supply, it is viewed as a rare thing. Sand is plentiful and not so rare. If the two were reversed, one would be still worth more than the other. Just depends on how bad someone wants something that determines the value of it.

[Dick]

Coop, that crack that starts at the rim, appears to meander all the way thru the whole word, and then point up towards the general rim area, after leaving the "G". I agree that it is very unlikely that it is the same die.
Dick

[KurtS]

I find the prevalence of chips on the AUS 50c interesting more so than possible rarity/value...cherry-picking is my other side to collecting.

Since I collect AUS predecimals, I would generally say their mint quality is on par with that of Canada, with the newer decimal coins generally similar as well. Yet, in this particular case, Aussies suspect the dies for commem 20c series were used to the very end of life. I suggested we might assemble an interesting series chronicling the die life of this particular pair.