Germany - Federal Republic 5 Cent Euro
Two-Headed Off-Metal Pattern
Struck with Two Obverse Dies
On a Copper-Nickel Planchet
PCGS SP 63
1 of Only 2 Known
$10,000
This 5 Cent Pattern Euro was struck with two obverse dies and is an off-metal on a 4.6 gram copper-nickel planchet. This exceptionally rare type of mint error has occurred less than ten times in U.S. or World modern numismatic history where a coin was struck by either two obverse dies or two reverse dies
and struck on an off-metal planchet.
It weighs 4.6 grams instead of the regular 3.92 gram weight of a normal 5 Cent Euro which has a composition of copper-plated steel. This two-headed off-metal specimen pattern was certified SP 63 by PCGS.
19 of the 28 European Union (EU) member states have adopted the Euro as their common currency. It is impossible to determine which of the five German mints struck this coin. Is one of the most dramatic and unique mint error discoveries in modern times.
In my NLG Award winning book,
World's Greatest Mint Errors, I dedicated an entire chapter to two-headed and two-tailed mint errors. In 2001, I purchased a Canadian major mint error collection that included a few previously unknown types of mint errors. Included in this collection was a unique Canadian Cent (two-tailed) struck with two reverse dies. At the time this was thought to be an impossible mint error. My discovery of this unique Canadian two-tailed Cent was featured in a front page Coin World article.
The first set of Euro coins struck with two obverse or two reverse dies was also my discovery and was featured in Mint Error News Magazine. This was an amazing set of 6 Euro coins of different denominations struck with either two-obverse or two-reverse dies.
As unbelievable as it seems, here are the other times this type of mint error has occurred: a 10 Cent Euro, a Chile 5 Pesos, a Chile 10 Pesos, a Great Britain Half Penny and a Russia 50 Roubles. The 10 Cent Euro was struck with two reverse dies and is off-metal on a chrome plated iron planchet. The Chile 5 Pesos was struck with two reverse dies on a Ni-Brass 1 Peso planchet and was certified by PCGS and is unique. The Chile 10 Pesos was struck with two obverse dies on a Bolivian 10 Cent planchet and was certified by PCGS and is unique. The Great Britain Halfpenny was struck with two obverse dies on a copper nickel planchet and was certified by NGC and is unique. The Russia 50 Roubles was struck with two obverse dies on a bi-metallic planchet and was certified by PCGS and is one of three known.
My original Canadian "Two-Tailed" Cent
discovery was featured in Coin World:
Copyright story reprinted by permission from Page 1 and Page 8 of the October 1, 2001 issue of COIN WORLD, Sidney, OH (coinworld.com)
Here is the Two-Headed & Two-Tailed Euro Set I discovered that was featured on the cover of Mint Error News Magazine and Chapter 27 of my book,
World's Greatest Mint Errors: