This time I have something that would have once been labelled in the error community as sintered, no not sinister despite it being a highly appropriate movie for the season, planchet it is now classified as annealed.� Yes it does look like another FIEND I presented earlier this season but the reverse does not get its copper tone, not the tanning oil, due to missing a layer of cladding but due to a chemical process.� This little guy gets his copper sheen in the annealing process where all the little planchets go to get cooked, you know Daunte's inferno, as part of the preparation process prior to striking.� Now you probably want to know how, well originally when I had it explained to me the process was known as sintered, it was copper dust held somehow is suspension then adhered to the copper nickel planchet, which can even happen to a nickel which is strangely named being mostly copper.� To explained how this occurred on a nickel planchet it was thought that either it proceeded a batch of cent planchets or were stuck with them.� The new theory and term Improperly Annealed Planchet states that the planchet possibly stayed longer than it should have in the furnace allowing the copper atoms migrate to the surface, this theory seems to make it appearance on a nickel planchet a lot easier don't you think?� It would seem this could move from theory to fact using weight, but in both cases we are probably talking the difference that would be undetectable by any scale the average numismatist would have access to.� It would be along the lines of weighing the amount of material lost on a coins surface due to toning, think I am crazy read Coin Chemistry as the author describes how to calculate that very thing.

Yes I know this FREAKS best side is not the obverse where both the date and mint mark appear, but sometimes you have to take what you can get.� I mean that literally as I had bid on one years ago that had the feature on the obverse graded by NGC, but my number did not secure the piece.� Not that these errors are terribly expensive as the value is not much more than the cost to have them encapsulated.� Likewise they are not terribly entertaining as it could easily pass as toning.� That said in doing some research prior to putting together this segment I did see a rather spectacular 1992-D nickel, see link below, with the same infliction that I would be an eager buyer should one ever appear dated 1968.

https://www.error-ref.com/improper-annealing/

Now for the mundane, the piece had been captured by PCGS and described as follows; 1968-D Mint Error 25C, PCGS MS64, Improperly Annealed Plan.� The obverse is face up with the descriptive label whereas the rather dull Washington side is face down.� Still there is a copper highlight to Washington's hair, or wait is that his wig, that is worth mentioning.

Anyway Until next time...........................I hope all y'all are enjoying a fall breeze like I am today.