Friday, November 30, 2012

MAD Dime

Have an error and want to know its value? Leave a comment

MisAligned Dies or MAD for short are error coins that have one side slightly off-center because the die hit it wrong. The coin enters the collar and a die from above (hammer die) hits the coin and simultaneously the pressure causes the bottom die (anvil die) to leave an impression on the coin. If the hammer die is slightly off the back and edge would be normal only the front would be off. Many MAD varieties exist but this is the most common.



The most obvious sign is on the rim where it looks like the dime has two edges. This is often mislabeled as "railroad rim" but that is another type of error where the edge is struck partially out collar. There is no good nickname for this error but it is common.


It is most common amongst dimes, the small size is partially to blame. Finding them in all coins is possible but the quarters and dimes are most obvious since the edge is reeded. Unless the misalignment causes part of the design to get cut off it has no extra value. Ignoring the eBay sales of these common coins they are not popular among collectors if minor or heavily circulated. Often the centered side is very weak but if both sides are misaligned they can have weak spots. Only extreme misaligned dies have real value and then they get odd looking.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 10 Cents / United States
Year: 1998 P
Mintage: 1,163,000,000
Metal: 91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
Value: $0.10  in F-12

Do you have a U.S. dime and want to know its value? Leave a comment / question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

29 dollars worth, for Comments/Questions click here.:

Unknown said...

I have a dime from 1966 that's missing it's mint mark and I have a nickel from 1945 that's completely blank on the reverse side. Can you tell me the worth of each?

Man said...

1966 that's missing it's mint mark
--Normal. 1966 dimes did not have mint marks so just $0.10.

a nickel from 1945 that's completely blank on the reverse side
--Damaged a coin can not be made with one side blank. No extra value.

Unknown said...

I have a 1988 P mint dime Where the left side has a lot of rim but the right side has no rim whatsoever. Is this worth anything?

Man said...

1988 P mint dime Where the left side has a lot of rim but the right side has no rim whatsoever.

Minor Off Center error, no extra value.

Anonymous said...

Hi I have a dime that is a slight bit smaller then a regular dime due to a copper ridge that should of been the ridged sides. Any value?

Man said...

a dime that is a slight bit smaller then a regular dime due to a copper ridge that should of been the ridged sides.

Hard to imagine without a picture but sounds like damage and has no extra value.

If you can take a clear picture, upload to a free site like imgur, and copy and paste the link here that may help but I suspect just damage.

Anonymous said...

Have a 1997 P dime that is missing the rim on one side (slight off center error) also is off color almost black or very dark copper color. and it either has strike cracks or a few small scratches on the torch side. Thanks in advance for any help

Man said...

1997 P dime that is missing the rim on one side (slight off center error) also is off color almost black or very dark copper color. and it either has strike cracks or a few small scratches on the torch side.

Could be a Missing Clad error but it needs to weighed.

The Slight Off Center does not add value.

Being black or dark copper may suggest it was heated or burned and that also adds no extra value.

deano said...

I have a 94 p dime with a thick rim and within the rim are 2 more rings with slighty rough edges, I also have an 86 d quarter with noticeable rotation on the d almost at a 2 oclock position.can send photos if needed.any info helps. thanks

Man said...

94 p dime with a thick rim and within the rim are 2 more rings with slighty rough edges,
--Misaligned die error, no extra value.

86 d quarter with noticeable rotation on the d almost at a 2 oclock position.
--Could be damage or a mint mark variety, either way it has no extra value.
That said some cherypickers like mint mark varieties and that small market may add extra value but rarely over $10.00.

Anonymous said...

Hey. I got a 1965 dime with what appears to be the copper part is....well....missing I guess. No it's not a silver dime there is some copper there. But the edge is flawed bad like maybe there was slag or something there. Being a first run sandwich year were errors like this common?

Unknown said...

I noticed the question about heat/acids an mines not heated or damaged. Parts of the cooper are there with ridges. And there's a layer of other stuff in spots. I can stick my fingernail into the gap between the silver sides in some spots. But if it's acid/heat related I am thinking it would be somewhat evenly damaged or have a obvious pattern like heavy to light damage or something. This one appears too random to me to be done with acid or heat. I can send/post pics if I knew how to do so on this blog...... This is the guy with the '65 dime again......

Man said...

1965 dime with what appears to be the copper part is....well....missing...This one appears too random to me to be done with acid or heat.

Separation between layers can happen because of bad planchets. These errors can also get exaggerated with heating.

These are known as Lamination errors. Most sell for $25+ but serious collectors tend to stay away as they can be easily faked.

http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=167929

Racquelle64 said...

I have a 1973 D dime. The edge all the way around is raised a lot and thicker than a penny. There is no ridging??? Around the outside ot is smooth. The thickness around the outer edges is about nickel thick and copper color.

Man said...

a 1973 D dime. The edge all the way around is raised a lot and thicker than a penny. There is no ridging??? Around the outside ot is smooth. The thickness around the outer edges is about nickel thick and copper color.

Spooned coin, happens when the edge gets smashed.
Damaged no extra value.

Unknown said...

i have a 1981 dime that has thick and smooth rim i was wondering who much it was and what kind of error it would be exactly?

Man said...

1981 dime that has thick and smooth rim

Not an error, damage made by smashing the edge.

Unknown said...

I have a 1990 p dime that has ridges on the back, is that common?

Man said...

1990 p dime that has ridges on the back, is that common?

Yes it has no extra value.

Unknown said...

I have a 2012 D dime that has a thick edge on one side and no edge at all on the other side

Man said...

2012 D dime that has a thick edge on one side and no edge at all on the other side

Slight Faulty Alignment error, no extra value unless a piece of the design is missing.

Anonymous said...

Hi I have a 1967 quarter with what I believe is a strike through, it starts in between the DO, and breaks apart, then all the way to the other side on each side of state?

Unknown said...

I have several war nickels that are magnetic. I use neodymium magnets, also known as rare earth magnets.Is there any added value to the coins?

Unknown said...

Hi 😊. If you could reply to my new email please. I tried to change it but had no luck. Sorry for that. Anyway...THANK YOU very much for all of your knowledge and and for sharing it. My new email is ireallydigcollectingcoins@gmail.com. I have 2 questions. How common are "EYE" doubled die errors because I have about a dozen or so (well...I believe them to be)....and I have been looking for this answer for quite some time with no luck....I have a dime that has the copper center (looks like copper "foil" flipped over the rim. I actually have a couple of similar coins for it this. Thank you for ANY ideas that could explain this.
Sincerely,
Michael 😊

Unknown said...

Apologies for the grammatical errors....silly "phone"😊. (I need to start proofreading more often is more like it🤔😊)

Unknown said...

I have a 1998 p dime that looks double stamped! Have you heard of one? Been looking for a picture of this dime and can’t find one....
It just looks different...I don’t know how to send picture of it to you...

Unknown said...

I have a 1991p dime that looks like on the obverse side has partal double rim along "one" and "United"

Starla Kerdsri said...

I have a 1979 d dime that the top of the letter T in liberty is aligned with the edge of the coin but mainly the edging is off and had more brown color then silver on the rim. Is this an error of some kind

Anonymous said...

i have a 2008 dime that has no ridges, is smaller than a regular dime and has copper on the backside edge