This is a South Korea 1968 10 won. I only bought it because I needed it for my type set. That said, a coin like this would have been worth a few cents but I overpaid as I was getting quite annoyed with the holes that I see in my collection. Anyways here it is:



Intially when I looked at it, I didn't think much but it looked like it was some sort of die clash. But soon that made no sense as this coin is actually a coin orientation, i.e. up-down orientation like US coins. I took a better look today and the more I look at it, the more likely it seems that this coin orignally started out with TWO obverse dies that was set wrongly but was "fixed" after overstriking it with the reverse die.

Here is the negative image of the reverse

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/2001/19...negativeak5.jpg <- 1mb size

If you have trouble looking at it, I suggest looking for the figure "10" which should be relatively obvious. Next, look at the top of the figure "1" and to your left, there should be the word "BANK". The letter "B" is at the bottom left of the box looking character.

What do you think? Likely?

Note that South Korean error coins are EXTREMELY rare.

hmmmm without seeing the coin in hand....thats a tough one.... the way the US presses work that cant happen.... obverse and reverse dies don't fit in each others places in the machines.... but im not familiar with the south korean presses... but ill bet they are similar to the US ones.

There is another possiblity Matt I think. I have a couple of South Korean uniface coins and if uniface error coins are more common than expected in the mint, the mint might have struck the coin again to fix up the problem. By the way Matt, how are uniface errors created?

uniface errors happen a couple of ways.... sometimes trial coins are struck with one flat die on either the obverse or reverse... this provides an even pressure so that the die with the design can have a more effective strike... Also other uniface strikes can happen when 2 planchets are fed into the press at the same time... if they sit on each other like a sandwich each coin will only get one side of the design.

Actually this is most likely simple design transfer die wear. As the dies age, they tend to flow more in stress areas. The stress areas tend to take on the shape of the design causing the stress, hence the opposite side.

This is common on Lincoln cents, especially wheat cents. The reverse often has a ghost impression appearance where Lincoln's shape can be made out on the reverse exactly like the 10 on this coin.