2016-07-01 Fri

Dates on coins are mostly changed every year depending on whether they appear partly or completely on the master hub, the master die, or the working die. The process involves punching some or all of the digits into each working die by hand. Errors occur during this process with malpositioned numerals, repunched numerals, overdates, and mismatched styles.

The last digit of a 1964 Peru 5-centavo coin was rotated and shifted. The positioning is different in other such coinswhich suggests that the dates were hand-struck. Almost all 1-centavo coins have a repunched date or an overdate. The malpositioned numeral is much weaker, thinner, and lower in relief generally.

Some mispunched dates are created due to tight deadlines, a broken hubbing press, or a shortage of blank working dies.

In some cases the entire face of the old die is ground, after which the die is annealed, re-hubbed to restore the design. A new date punched in finally.