Off-Center Strike

What it is

Coins are struck when a blank disc of metal (a planchet) is fed between two dies and squeezed. If the planchet isn't sitting fully inside the collar when the dies come together, only part of it gets the design. The result is a coin with the design shifted to one side, a crescent of totally blank metal, and often a slightly stretched, out-of-round shape. These escape the mint occasionally and are one of the most visually obvious and beginner-friendly errors to recognize.

How to spot it

You don't need a magnifier for this one: the design is clearly shifted and a smooth blank crescent covers part of the coin. Check that the blank area is original smooth planchet surface, not a coin that someone ground down or damaged. Collectors describe these by percentage: a 5% off-center barely misses the collar, a 50% off-center is half blank. The most desirable examples are 40-60% off-center with a full, readable date. If the date got cut off, the coin is worth much less.

What it's worth

A modern cent struck 10% off-center might bring $5-$15, while a 50% off-center with full date can bring $50-$100+. Off-centers on bigger or older coins (quarters, halves, silver-era coins) climb into the hundreds. Date visible = worth notably more; no date = big discount.

Famous examples

• Off-center Lincoln Cents (most commonly seen)
• Off-center Jefferson Nickels
• Off-center state quarters from the 1999-2008 rush