A brockage error is one of the most dramatic and visually striking mint errors in coin collecting. It occurs when a previously struck coin sticks to one of the dies and acts as a die itself for subsequent strikes. The stuck coin impresses its design — in reverse and incuse — onto the next coin that enters the press. The result is a coin showing the normal design on one side and a mirror-image, sunken impression of that same design on the other.
During normal production, each struck coin is ejected from the press before the next blank enters. If a coin fails to eject and sticks to the upper or lower die, it becomes a "cap." The next blank that enters the press is struck between the real die on one side and the stuck coin on the other. The stuck coin acts as an improvised die, transferring its design in mirror image to the new coin.
Brockage errors are dramatic, rare, and immediately recognizable. They tell a clear story about what went wrong in the minting process, and the visual impact of seeing a mirror-image design makes them conversation pieces in any collection. Full brockages on larger denominations are especially prized.
ErrorHunt's scanner can detect reversed or incuse design elements that may indicate a brockage error. Photograph both sides of the coin clearly so the AI can compare the two faces.
A brockage occurs when a previously struck coin sticks to a die and impresses its design in mirror image onto the next coin. One side of the brockage coin shows the normal design; the other shows a reversed, sunken impression.
Yes, brockage errors are among the scarcer mint error types. Full brockages are particularly uncommon because multiple things have to go wrong: a coin must stick to the die, the press must continue operating, and the resulting error must escape quality control.
Values vary significantly depending on the type (full vs. partial), denomination, clarity of the brockage impression, and overall condition. Brockages are generally among the more valuable mint errors due to their scarcity and visual drama.
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