Passage 1 The process for making a coin is quite complicated, and many types of errors can be made during the procedure. Coin collectors study the errors because they can dramatically affect the value of a coin. That is, some kinds of errors are considered interesting and add value to a collected coin. Some errors will affect only one or a few coins, while others will affect all coins made at a given time. While the word error is generally a negative concept, it can be a positive concept to a coin collector because it makes the coin interesting and more valuable, unlike damage to the coin after it is in circulation or the cleaning of a coin, both of which detract from its value. After an artist creates the drawing that will appear on a coin, a die is made in plastic or plaster from the drawing. The die is a mirror image of the coin. Where there is a raised area on the coin, there is a depressed area on the die, and vice versa. The die is then transferred to a metal pattern in order to create a master die. The dies, one for the front of the coin and one for the back, are placed in a coin press. The metal in the coin comes from a large metal piece called a planchet, which is used at room temperature rather than melted. A feed mechanism passes planchets through the coin press. The two dies, surrounded by collars, strike the planchet, which causes the softer planchet metal to flow into all the design cavities of the die up to the collars, resulting in the flat or reeded edge of the coin.

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