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The Judd, Pollock and Adams and Woodin books contain many listings for Indian cents struck in either nickel or copper-nickel that are not patterns. These pieces, especially those after 1876 from business strike dies, are actually mint errors struck on either 3 cent nickel planchets or one of the following foreign planchets:
|
Country
|
Denomination
|
Diameter
|
Weight
|
Composition
|
|
Venezuela
|
1 cent
|
19 mm
|
~36.5 grains
|
copper, nickel, zinc
|
|
Dominican Republic
|
5 cent
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18 mm
|
32.4 grains
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copper 75%, nickel 25%
|
|
Colombia
|
5 cent
|
20 mm
|
48.8 grains
|
copper 75%, nickel 25%
|
|
Nicaragua
|
5 cent
|
19.8 mm
|
44.8 grains
|
copper 75%, nickel 25%
|
|
Haiti
|
5 cent
|
19.8 mm
|
44.8 grains
|
copper 75%, nickel 25%
|
|
Costa Rica
|
10 cent
|
18 mm
|
30.9 grains
|
silver 90%, copper 10%
|
Those struck on the smaller 3 cent nickel planchets, as on the 2 1881 illustrated pieces above, will show some of the peripheral design missing whereas those struck on one of the foreign planchets such as the 1877 below will appear full-sized.
The following table list the years where at least some or all of the known nickel / copper-nickel pieces are actually mint errors.
| Date | Pollock | Judd | Additional Comments |
| 1865 | P473, P475 | J404, J406 |
Judd reports one on 3 cent planchet, probably ex Bluestone 10/37 |
| 1869 | P745-P746 | J669-J670 |
AW826, Taxay reports 2 pieces on 3 cent nickel planchets |
| 1871 | P1177 | J1042A |
Pollock lists one on 68.25 grain planchet. |
| 1872 | P1321, P1323 | J1180, J1182 |
Judd reports one on 3 cent nickel planchet ex Gable, Olsen, Lohr, and another at 49 grains (Colombian 5 cent?) also ex Gable, Olsen sales |
| 1873 | P1398 | J1257 | ex Gable, Olsen sales - 49 grains (Colombian 5 cent?) |
| 1874 | P1491 | J1346A | ex Stacks 1/87, Heritage 7/22, weight not known |
| 1876 | P1597 | J1451 | believed to be struck on Venezuelan 1 cent planchets |
| 1877 | P1648-P1649 | J1495-J1496 | Struck on Venezuelan 1 cent planchets (36.5 grain) as illustrated above and/or Dominican Republic 5 centavo planchets (32.4 grains) |
| 1879 | P1776 | J1583 |
see Elder 12/16/1908 lot 972, Lohr FPL, Federal Brand 10/61, & 1/62. One is on 49 grain Colombian 5 cent planchet |
| 1881 | P1868 | J1664 |
AW1657, on 3 cent nickel planchet, 2 examples are illustrated above, one of these likely ex Elder 12/16/1908 lot 975 |
| 1884 | P1932 | J1723A |
Probably struck on either a Haitian 5 or Nicaraguan 5 cent planchet |
| 1888 | N/A | N/A |
Probably struck on Columbian 5 centavo planchet. See Chapman brothers 1905 Morris sale lot 397 and/or Heritage 8/21 |
Other dates not listed may also be as well. We recommend collectors examine these pieces carefully. The 2 1876 pieces, which are imaged at the top of this webpage, were struck from different obverse dies. If any of our members have additional information on these, please send to Saul Teichman at Saul.Teichman@ey.com
Photos of the 1873 J1257/P1398 courtesy of American Numismatic Rarities, the 1876 J1451/P1597 courtesy of Superior, the 1876 on 3 cent courtesy of Heritage, the 1877 J1495/P1648 courtesy of Bowers and Merena and the 2 1881s on three cent nickel planchets are courtesy of Saul Teichman and Heritage.
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