Brockage
Encyclopedia
In coin collecting
, brockage refers to a type of error coin
in which one side of the coin
has both the normal image and a mirror image of the opposite side impressed upon it.
Brockage errors are caused when an already minted coin sticks to the coin die
and impresses onto another coin. Brockages are relatively rare among modern coins of industrialised countries where mints exercise a strict production control and somewhat less rare among the modern coins of some developing countries which operate their own mint (e.g. Nepal
); in good condition, coins with clear brockage are a collector's item and can sell for substantial amounts of money.
One can distinguish between obverse
and reverse
brockages. Obverse brockages occur when the previously struck coin was not ejected and gets stuck to the lower die, and reverse brockages when the previously struck coin remains stuck to the upper die.
, brockages were very common, although largely restricted to obverse brockages, as the mint worker would likely notice if the coin was stuck in the reverse anvil die
. If the mint worker did notice the brockage, they had the option of restriking it. There is no consensus among numismatists
concerning the existence of restruck brockages, as they would appear similar to coins with heavily clashed dies.
The use of screw presses drastically reduced the amount of brockages which escaped the mint from the mid 16th-century onwards, but as high speed machinery became more common in the 19th century, more brockages appear. It is known that some unscrupulous mint workers have created brockages in the past simply in order to sell to coin collectors.
Coin collecting
Coin collecting is the collecting or trading of coins or other forms of minted legal tender.Coins of interest to collectors often include those that circulated for only a brief time, coins with mint errors and especially beautiful or historically significant pieces. Coin collecting can be...
, brockage refers to a type of error coin
Mint-made errors
Mint-made errors are errors in a coin made by the mint during the minting process. Mint error coins can be the result of deterioration of the minting equipment, accidents or malfunctions during the minting process, or intentional interventions by mint personnel...
in which one side of the coin
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
has both the normal image and a mirror image of the opposite side impressed upon it.
Brockage errors are caused when an already minted coin sticks to the coin die
Die (manufacturing)
A die is a specialized tool used in manufacturing industries to cut or shape material using a press. Like molds, dies are generally customized to the item they are used to create...
and impresses onto another coin. Brockages are relatively rare among modern coins of industrialised countries where mints exercise a strict production control and somewhat less rare among the modern coins of some developing countries which operate their own mint (e.g. Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
); in good condition, coins with clear brockage are a collector's item and can sell for substantial amounts of money.
One can distinguish between obverse
Obverse and reverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
and reverse
Obverse and reverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
brockages. Obverse brockages occur when the previously struck coin was not ejected and gets stuck to the lower die, and reverse brockages when the previously struck coin remains stuck to the upper die.
History
In the production of hammered coinageHammered coinage
Hammered coinage is the most common form of coins produced since the invention of coins in the first millennium BC until the early modern period of ca...
, brockages were very common, although largely restricted to obverse brockages, as the mint worker would likely notice if the coin was stuck in the reverse anvil die
Die (manufacturing)
A die is a specialized tool used in manufacturing industries to cut or shape material using a press. Like molds, dies are generally customized to the item they are used to create...
. If the mint worker did notice the brockage, they had the option of restriking it. There is no consensus among numismatists
Numismatics
Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, and related objects. While numismatists are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, the discipline also includes the broader study of money and other payment media used to resolve debts and the...
concerning the existence of restruck brockages, as they would appear similar to coins with heavily clashed dies.
The use of screw presses drastically reduced the amount of brockages which escaped the mint from the mid 16th-century onwards, but as high speed machinery became more common in the 19th century, more brockages appear. It is known that some unscrupulous mint workers have created brockages in the past simply in order to sell to coin collectors.