Question: Is Upside Down Edge Lettering an Error on Presidential Dollars?
Presidential Dollars are the first U.S. coins to have edge lettering applied to them since the 1930s. As a result, there are a lot of questions about what is normal and what is an error. This article explains when upside down edge lettering on Presidential Dollars is an error and when it is not. (There isn't a simple yes or no answer, unfortunately.)
Answer: The U.S. Mint produces two types of coins. Normal coins, called business strike coins by minting experts, are produced in vast quantities with little attention to individual coin detail and quality (although the Mint does strive to produce high quality coins overall.) Proof coins are the other type of coins made by the U.S. Mint, and they are carefully made with a focus on quality over quantity. Whether or not the upside down edge lettering on a Presidential Dollar has been applied in error depends on the type of coin you have.
Edge Lettering on Presidential Dollars for Circulation
The edge lettering on normal Presidential Dollars, those made for general circulation, is applied randomly. After the coins are struck, they are placed in huge bins. A machine that functions very much like a vacuum sweeper nozzle sucks the coins up and into the Schuler edge lettering machine, where the coins are fed against an impeller wheel that drives them past the die with the edge lettering spelled out on it.The coins pass through this machine at the astonishing rate of 1,000 coins per <i>minute</i>, and when the edge lettering is applied, it goes wherever on the edge the coin happened to be when it got sucked up and processed through this very high-speed machine. It doesn't matter if the coin is right side up, or upside down. It doesn't matter if the lettering begins at the top of the President's head or at the bottom. The location and orientation of the edge lettering on circulation strike coins is entirely random.
Edge Lettering on Proof Presidential Dollars
For the edge lettering on Proof Presidential Dollars, the Mint is taking a lot more care. For starters, a different edge lettering process is being used. The Proof coins don't pass through the Schuler edge lettering machine; instead, they will get their edge lettering at the same time they are struck by the dies.Whenever coins are struck, there are actually three dies involved, even when the edge is plain. There are the expected obverse and reverse dies, which strike the "heads" and "tails," plus there is a die called a retaining collar. This collar holds the planchet in place while the coin is being struck, and prevents the metal from flowing outward, thereby keeping the coin perfectly round. For U.S. Dimes, Quarters, and Half Dollars, this collar has grooves in it which cause the coins to get the reeded edges. In the case of the Presidential Dollar Proof coins, this collar will have the edge lettering rather than grooves or smooth metal.
The Presidential edge lettering collar is a tripartite collar, (made up of three parts, or segments.) This collar encloses the coin in a fixed manner in relation to the dies which strike the obverse and reverse of the coin. The edge lettering on Proof Presidential Dollars should always be right side up in relation to the President's head. The edge lettering should also begin and end at the same place on each coin.
