As part of an effort in 1999 to promote the new Sacagawea Dollars, General Mills scattered 5,500 specially-packaged 2000-dated Sacagawea Dollars among 10 million boxes of Cheerios cereal. Five years later, it was discovered that the so-called “Cheerios” Dollars were actually from a different reverse die type.

Some experts consider these pattern coins; others have called them “Reverse of 1999”. PCGS has labeled them “Cheerios FS-401”, referring to the source and the reference number from the Fivaz-Stanton “Cherrypicker” guide.

Because of the perceived rarity of the Reverse of 1999 and the assumption that all “Cheerios” Dollars bore the Reverse of 1999, the demand for these coins has increased and the coins themselves have become quite valuable.

However, PCGS experts recently opened a sealed “Cheerios” package only to find out that the Dollar contained in the package was of a normal, Reverse of 2000 die type.

The package appeared to be authentic and showed no evidence of tampering. A similar experience has been reported by another grading service. Thus, one may no longer assume that the Dollars in the Cheerios packages are of the rare, Reverse of 1999.

Because the “Cheerios” Dollars are packaged obverse up, the reverse cannot be seen. An obverse die marker has been identified on some “Cheerios” Dollars and may assist in identifying Reverse of 1999 Dollars in sealed packages. The die marker consists of die polish extending into the field from Sacagawea’s wrap immediately below and to the left of the mintmark. Whether this die marker is diagnostic of the Reverse of 1999 Sacagawea Dollars remains to be seen. (more…)

The latest May/Jun 2008 issue of Die Variety News online bi-monthly magazine is now available in Adobe Acrobat© rich-text PDF (Portable Document File) which allows the viewer an extremely clear high resolution with dynamic zoom capability and detailed printing of each page.

This May/Jun Issue #13 of DVN Magazine includes highlights on a “2004-D Roosevelt Dime Analysis,” “1988 1c Transitional Varieties,” “Wyoming State Quarter DDRs,” “OIV Doubled Dies Continue,” “Strange Reverse on 2006 Lincoln Cent,” and we continue with more “Presidential Varieties & Heavy Abrading.” Plus our extremely popular “This & That” section, “World Varieties,” “Mint Error Showcase” and our “Variety Spotlight” covers the 1943-S 1c DDO.

Susan Headley , the About.com Coin Guide reviewed this issue in her latest column as follows:

” The cover story for this issue is the mysterious 2004-D Roosevelt Dime which has an apparent doubled ear. The doubled ear is difficult to see in the small photo I have here, but if you click through to Billy’s site and look at the full-sized Die Variety News #13 cover, you’ll see an enlargement of this intriguing coin.

Inside issue #13, Billy examines this remarkable coin and provides an answer to the question people have been asking ever since the coin was discovered: Is it a doubled die? Was this semi-circular mark on the ear made by the same person who added the “extra leaf” to certain Wisconsin Quarters (also done at the Denver Mint in 2004?) Or is this mark just some kind of random die damage? Billy shows us what he thinks is the cause, using his lovely large-sized microphotographs and a clear, point-by-point explanation of his theory.

I have to absolutely frank with you and say that I am stunned that this magazine is free! Mike Byers has published yet another amazing issue of his wildly popular Mint Error News Magazine, devoted to error and variety coins. The current issue, number 23 in the series, has more 200 pages cram-packed with information, photos, and price lists relating to error coins! Even the advertisements are fascinating!

Although all of the magazine is interesting and informative, the error coin price guides painstakingly compiled by Al Levy are the only frequently-updated price guides of this type that can be found anywhere on the Web. Levy scans eBay, the widest-reaching coin market in the world, for the closing prices of hundreds of different types, dates, and combinations of errors. For example, on the page containing prices for the “Speared Bison” Nickels and “Extra Leaf” Wisconsin Quarters, we learn that prices are way down, partly due to new material coming on the market. Levy warns us about the do-it-yourself coin-wrapping equipment that allows people to wrap and crimp their own rolls of coins, so one should be very wary bidding on supposedly unsearched rolls that show an error coin on the end.

The cover story is about a Proof Utah State Quarter which was struck on an elliptical clip. (An elliptical clip is a coin blank that was erroneously punched into an oval, rather than round, shape. Such blanks are extremely rare, but for a Proof coin to have such a blank, with all of the careful handling and multiple inspections that Proof coins go through at the Mint, it’s downright newsworthy!)

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