Coins struck on an Incomplete Planchet, also called a "clip" are planchet errors.
The
two dimes below show a Ragged Clip (left) and a Curved clip (right).
The red circle represents the curvature of a struck dime relative the
coins shown. The Blakesley Effect is shown by the light blue arrows (and
explained below).
The error happens when some type of misalignment produces blanks with
additional cuts or missing metal from the sheet's edge or a problem mid
sheet. The two most common types are curved clips, and straight clips.
Other types include ragged, elliptical, irregular straight clips, along
with an assortment of other exotic types not covered here.
Clips
occur before the coin is struck in the blanking press, this is where the
sheets of metal are punched out to produce blanks. The blanks are later
treated, then sent into something called the upset mill. In the upset
mill the blanks will be spun with pressure applied on the rims from both
sides to shape and harden the blanks edges before being struck into
coins. The original, somewhat jagged edges from the blanking press, are
eliminated. We define that edge before the upset mill as having a cut
and tear texture. When a coin with an incomplete area goes into the
upset mill, often, the coin edge directly opposite the incomplete area,
will not receive any pressure in the upset mill and the rims will not be
defined. When struck the rims opposite will seem level and lack
definition, we call this The Blakesley Effect. Not all clips will have
The Blakesley Effect, but many do.
Some diagnostics:
- Curved clips should have the same circumference (or curvature) of a struck coin (as the dime above shows).
-
Devices near the incomplete area should show metal flow. A distortion,
and thinning or stretching out toward the clip on both sides (blue areas
below, yellow arrows above). Such metal flow will vary from example to
example.
- Rims should tapper and gently fade out to a point (red arrows below, green arrows above on the dimes).
- The Blakesley Effect is often present and more obvious on larger clips (blue arrows below on the Lincoln cent)
- Straight clips, and inside curved clips, will show that cut and tear texture- they will not be smooth.
The
below sequence of images illustrate metal flow and the taper and
fadeout of the design rim. This is what we would expect to see when
dealing with authentic straight clips. Top images include both faces of a
Jefferson nickel and Lincoln wheat ear cent.
The illustration below shows the overlapping punches on the coin metal
strip and what hypothetically could happen if the punches went one on
top of the other. Blanks could have one or two curved areas cut out.
The illustration below shows the overlapping punches on the coin metal
strip and what hypothetically could happen if the punches (red arrows)
went over the leading or back edge of the metal strip; if the strip was
not cut straight; if the strip was too narrow; or if the strip was
somehow fed into the blanking press at an angle. All would result in
some configuration of a straight clip as shown in green.
The illustration below shows the overlapping punches on the coin metal
strip and what hypothetically could happen if the punches (red arrows)
went over the leading or back edge of the metal strip that had an
irregular edge. Ragged clips can also develop mid sheet if ragged
fissures are present.
Our
final illustration shows that Lincoln cent clips on copper plated zinc
planchets (1982 to present) will have the incomplete areas copper
plated. The plating of the blanks happens AFTER they are punched out,
but before they are struck. True clips will be copper plated where as
altered or damaged coins will show exposed zinc.
1985-D with two curved clips:
All photos and illustrations are done by and copyrighted me (Jason Cuvelier). Many are also found on error-ref(.)com
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