Jeff Garrett: Overdates of the 20th Century

Mint errors are one of the most complicated segments of the rare coin market. We receive dozens of calls and emails each month from individuals inquiring about the value of a mint error. Many are just damaged coins that people somehow think are error coins. Most mint errors or misstruck coins are one of a kind, there are endless variations and value will vary from coin to coin. Despite the dramatic nature of many error coins, they are often worth much less than most would imagine. Auction records for mint error and misstruck coins are the best way to study values for these enigmatic pieces.

Overdate mint errors of the 20th century are more popular and much more collected. Many of these are considered part of the regular series and are highly sought after. They are also listed in the Guide Book of United States Coins ("Red Book") in the section for the series. Many coin albums also have spaces for these, which increases demand, especially in lower grades.

The first of these iconic mint errors is the 1918/7-D Buffalo Nickel. In The Complete Guide to Buffalo Nickels, the late David Lange explains how these were created:

"In sinking a working die, two or more impressions had to be taken from a working hub. Between each impression, the developing die was taken to the furnace to be annealed, or softened, since the first impression caused the metal to become workhardened. It was then ready for another impression. Amid the haste to produce new dies, a working die that had already been impressed with a hub dated 1917 was then either inadvertently or intentionally given another impression from a hub dated 1918. The result was an overdate."

The 1918/7-D is relatively scarce, with NGC having numerically graded a little more than 1,000 coins to date. The vast majority of these graded examples are heavily circulated, and low-grade examples start in price at about $1,000. The scarcity of high-grade coins is probably because the variety was not noticed by numismatists until the early 1930s. Choice and Gem examples are extremely rare, with a single MS 66 recorded in the NGC Census.

Click images to enlarge.

Valuable Vintage Silver Rarities

The next famous overdate listed in the Red Book is the 1942/1 and 1942/1-D Mercury Dimes. These two overdates are about equal in rarity with a numerically graded population in the NGC Census of 2,288 and 2,048, respectively. The overdate for these are quite dramatic and easy to spot, even on low-grade examples. This error coin is still cherry-picked by coin shops buying 90% silver across the counter. Here's a good tip for anyone selling bulk 90% silver coins — check the coins before selling them for melt value. You never know.

The 1942/1 and 1942/1-D Mercury Dimes are also very rare in Choice and Gem condition. NGC has only graded one MS 66 and two MS 65 examples of the 1942/1. They have graded a few more of the 1942/1-D Mercury Dime in Gem condition, with three at the MS 67 level. Both of these coins bring substantial premiums if they have full bands on the reverse. Oher than the 1916-D Mercury Dime, these two are by far the most expensive coins of the series in circulated grades.

Click images to enlarge.

Next up is the scarce 1918/7-S Standing Liberty Quarter. Like the other coins mentioned above, this overdate was not discovered until nearly two decades after the coins were issued. By then, the best chance of finding one was by looking through rolls of circulated quarters. Very few were saved in Mint condition. The 1918/7-S Standing Quarter is also one of the weakest struck of the series. Full Head examples are nearly unheard of. Quite a few are also seen with heavy clash marks in Liberty's gown. 

To date, NGC has numerically graded 350 examples without Full Head. Only 20 1918/7-S Standing Liberty Quarters have been designated as Full Head, according to the NGC Census. Clearly, the 1918/7-S Standing Quarter is the rarest of the coins mentioned so far. Well-worn examples start at around $1,500 and go up rapidly in each grade. Gem examples are extremely rare, with the finest-graded coin at NGC being a single MS 67 that sold at auction in 2024 for $108,000. Unlike the 1942/1 Dimes mentioned above, I have never heard of a dealer finding one of these in 90% silver. One important tip for buying an example of the 1918/7-S Standing Quarter is to be sure the overdate is very clear and easy to see. The resale value of the coin will be impacted if the overdate is barely visible.

Click images to enlarge.

Gold Coin Overdates of the 20th Century

The coins mentioned above are all well established series with thousands of collectors. However, several gold issues make up the lesser-known overdates of the 20th century. These gold coins are all quite scarce and underrated compared to the above “key” issues.

The 1901/0-S Liberty Half Eagle is the first on the list. This overdate is quite obvious and easy to spot with the naked eye. NGC has numerically grade only about 500 examples of this overdate — for comparison, they have graded 8,327 1901-S Half Eagles. The 1901-S Half Eagle is one of the most common dates of the entire series, but the overdate for the year is quite scarce. Surprisingly, the 1901/0-S Half Eagle sells for just over melt value in grades below Mint State. Choice and Gem examples are quite rare, with just four having been graded as MS 66. In my opinion, the 1901/0-S is very underpriced in all grades.

Click images to enlarge.

The final coin in our study of “Red Book” overdates is the popular 1909/8 Double Eagle. Because of the coin's size, the overdate for this issue is very obvious and easy to spot from a mile away. The 1909 and 1909/8 Double Eagles are a very interesting pair of coins. Surprisingly, the 1909/8 Double Eagle is the more common of the two. NGC has numerically graded 1,757 1909/8 Double Eagles and just 1,379 1909 Double Eagles. Gem examples are also rarer for the 1909 Double Eagle. It’s the only overdate issue of the 20th century with this unique distinction. The 1909/8 Double Eagle is one my favorite coins of the Saint-Gaudens series because of the bold nature of the overdate. You will not have any trouble finding an example, and for coins below Choice condition, the price will be close to its melt value. 

Click images to enlarge.

For collectors looking for something different, a set of the above six coins would make an interesting mini-collection. The 1918/7-D Buffalo Nickel and the 1918/7-S Standing Quarters have long been on the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins list. They all have an interesting story, and most are very rare in Choice condition. The two gold coins also seem to screaming buys at current price levels. As always, we suggest finding the best you can afford.

Want to see more articles like this? Subscribe to the free NGC Weekly Market Report.

Jeff Garrett bio