Featured Indian Cent
A Discussion of the 1862 Indian Cent Starburst Error Coin
This 1862 Indian Cent represents one of the most stunning error coins in the entire Indian Cent series, if not all of US issues.

PCGS has graded the piece Obverse Die Cap and assigned a grade of a lofty MS67. But this is no ordinary die cap. It’s nickname is the “Starburst Coin”. Almost all (perhaps all except for this) examples of caps resemble a thimble where the coin(s) lodged in the chamber are repeatedly struck inside the collar allowing the edge of the coin to flow upwards at almost a 90-degree angle.
Current Estimated Major Auction Price… $60,000.00
How This Indian Cent Error Coin Was Made… None of us were there when the piece was made so we have to rely on physical, forensic evidence as well as metallurgy to offer guidance. Chris Pilliod, President of the Fly-In Club and a metallurgist by profession has assessed the piece and assembled what he feels are the two leading theories.


THEORY 1.
Step 1. Two planchets were fed at one time. The two blanks were exactly on top of each other entering the die chamber and were struck simultaneously.
Step 2. So the reverse of the Starburst is blank.
Step 3. The reverse die was distended above the collar and with the two blanks on top of each other were struck simultaneously, forming two broadstruck coins, one with an obverse image and one with a reverse image.
Step 4. The two pieces did not eject after the first striking but rather were stuck to the bottom die above the collar (for the Indian Cent series the bottom die or “anvil die” was the reverse. The hammer die was the obverse).
Step 5. The two pieces were struck multiple times inside the chamber, at least three times… perhaps as many as six times, creating an enormous Broadstruck, very large in diameter. Close to quarter-size diameter.
Step 6. As the two coins were flattened they finally became thin enough to settle inside the collar, and with a final blow the sides of the piece flared up, tearing the now extremely thin edges from the strain.
THEORY 2.
Step 1. Two planchets were fed at one time. The two blanks were exactly on top of each other entering the die chamber and were struck simultaneously.
Step 2. So the reverse of the Starburst is blank.
Step 3. The two pieces did not eject after the first striking but rather were stuck to the bottom die inside the collar. For the Indian Cent series the bottom die (or “anvil die”) is the reverse. The hammer die is the obverse.
Step 4. The two pieces were struck multiple times inside the chamber, at least three times… perhaps as many as six times.
Step 5. So for a very brief time in this coin’s life it looked like a normal Die Cap error, and as such looked like a normal “thimble”.
Step 6. But here’s where things get bizarre. The two pieces finally eject from the die chamber.
Step 7. But instead of being conveyed into the bin housing struck cents as a normal looking cap, and as bizarre as it sounds the piece flipped over before ejection, landed upside-down on the collar with the two pieces still stuck together (this time with the blank facing upwards, and received a final blow by the hammer die.
Step 8. And with this strike the edges were flattened, the strain exceeding the strength of the piece, tearing the thin walls of the cap. The spokes on this piece are flailed at appx 20-degrees vs a normal cap of 90-degrees.
Step 9. There is no evidence of damage outside the Mint on this piece, and this is the type of strain that is needed to create the “spokes”– much like stepping on a very thin bottle cap.
Common sense supports theory #1, while the metallurgy, including the physical evidence and tearing is better supported by theory #2.
Other Notes. Look around!!! Somewhere out there exists the possibility of the other piece sitting in a collection. This would make for a helluva mated pair together, maybe the best in US Error collections.
Finally, on this website we plan to assemble the Greatest 37 Indian Cent/Flying Eagle Errors known with updates appx one per month. While a final ranking has not been established this one has tentatively been assigned #2 Greatest Indian Cent error known. The official ranking will include input from experts, collectors as well as the viewership.
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