Panama in 1973. In this mated pair, coin #1 is a
1973 Panama Tenth Balboa die struck both sides by the Panama dies on a U.S. clad dime planchet. In 1974, also at the San Francisco Mint, two obverse Lincoln Cent dies, both dated
1974-S, were paired together and installed in the same press. If a copper cent planchet had been struck by this die pair, a two-headed Lincoln cent would have been produced. To date, none have been discovered. This 1973 Tenth Balboa was placed in the collar of the press containing the two obverse dies for the 1974-S Lincoln Cent, on top of a copper cent planchet already seated in the collar. These were then subsequently struck together (mated).
Counterfeit Detection: 1963-D Roosevelt Dime With Altered Bands
Coins are altered in a variety of ways for a number of different reasons. Some alterations may be unintentional, such as corrosion or altered color due to improper storage. Other alterations altered dates or added mintmarks are attempts to make a coin resemble a rarer date.
There are also alterations that try to make the coin appear to be a better condition. In this category, various forms of improper cleaning are most common, but there are other methods that people employ to artificially enhance a coin’s appearance. This
1963-D Roosevelt Dime features one of the more unusual alterations.