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The Irish milled edge pound coin error explained

  • 03-05-2014 6:49pm
    #1
    Blade
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Music Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,499 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    As there seems to have been some confusion about this error, not just here on Boards but also from some ebay sellers, I thought I'd explain it.

    Interestingly the exact same thing happened with some Malaysian coins, so this picture is of one of those but the situation is exactly the same for the Irish coins:

    305617.jpg

    John Stafford doesn't provide a picture but this is how he explains it on his popular irishcoinage.com website:

    "The normal edge for these coins is a milled edge with an an engrailed pattern which is added after the milling. Coins exist without fully engrailed edges for all years. Most of these have two small groves in the milling at two opposite points where the engrailing machinery started but failed to complete. The normal engrailing also shows its two start points quite clearly as short plain sections within the engrailing. Pieces without fully engrailed edges command a significant premium over normal coins. These coins are not particularly rare, but uncirculated specimens are difficult to obtain."


Comments

  • #2
    DMcL1971
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,444 ✭✭✭DMcL1971


    I'm still a bit confused about this as I have seen a few of these coins being advertised on eBay and Adverts over the years as milled edge or error coins but with pictures that don't show it clearly or just look like regular coins to me.

    I assume that a normal coin, firstly, is milled around the whole edge. Then it has engrailing applied all the way around the edge, however there are two small plain sections (no dot) within the engrailing, diametrically opposite to each other on the coin. These plain sections mark where the machinery first makes contact and are normal for regular coins. In other words these plain sections within the engrailing are not considered an error.

    So, does a milled edge error coin have,
    (A) A milled edge the whole way around with no sign of any attempt at engrailing.

    (B) A milled edge the whole way around but will show a small groove or mark on diametrically opposite sides were the machinery made contact but never actually engrailed.

    (C) A milled edge the whole way around but will show engrailing for a section of the edge but not go the complete way around.

    Or is it that coins of types A, B and C all exist?


  • #3
    Blade
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Music Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,499 Mod ✭✭✭✭Blade


    Definitely (B) and (C) exist as I have both, fully milled with 2 marks on opposite ends and some that are fully milled but only partially engrailed. I haven't studied all mine as I'm not sure where they all are now, but going by John's use of the word "most", I'm sure (A) also exists for coins that just never made it into the engrailing machine at all. The initial milling BTW is done together with the striking of the coin, all in one strike from the part called the die collar.


  • #4
    Blade
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Music Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,499 Mod ✭✭✭✭Blade


    Well how about that, looks like I just my hands on an (A) type from ebay. After a bit of confusion with the seller sending me the wrong coin, just a normal pound coin, he sent me out another one which is indeed milled edge and there's no contact marks of the engrailing machine.

    I paid 10 Euro in total with postage, but I also got to keep the first pound coin he sent me out which was a very weak strike and technically also an error albeit not a very significant one.


  • #5
    DMcL1971
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,444 ✭✭✭DMcL1971


    That's a great result, two error coins for a tenner!


  • #6
    endacl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,409 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    DMcL1971 wrote: »
    That's a great result, two error coins for a tenner!

    Or €2.54 for €10? :D

    Ah, I'm only sore. I got one of these in my change before the euro arrived. Gave it to a pal who collects coins because I thought it'd be of interest to him. Then found out I could have sold it. Easy come, easy go...


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  • #7
    owla
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 98 ✭✭owla


    bought a pound coin on ebay, milled edge is there but a small section of it is flattened (smooth)
    some minting error .. any one come across this before?


  • #8
    Blade
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Music Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,499 Mod ✭✭✭✭Blade


    owla wrote: »
    bought a pound coin on ebay, milled edge is there but a small section of it is flattened (smooth)
    some minting error .. any one come across this before?

    Is it like the top photo in the OP but with a small section smooth without dots, and exactly the same on the oposite side of the coin? If so this is normal, not an error and what was described in the OP as "The normal engrailing also shows its two start points quite clearly as short plain sections within the engrailing."

    The error coins with the milled edge often also have two small smooth sections as described in the same paragraph.


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