Two Pound Coins GANTS - Error

Standing on the Shoulder of Giants Inscription on Edge of a Two Pound Coin As it should appear

Standing on the Shoulder of Giants Inscription on Edge of a Two Pound Coin As it should appear

The Cause of the Error
The cause of this type of error is quite simple, and fairly common. The edge inscriptions are impressed into the edge of the coin blanks before the blanks are struck. The edge lettering machine rolls the coin between steel rollers bearing the inscription. As with any mechanical process, wear and breakage is possible. Because the letter "I" is thin, there is little lateral support, and therefore it is more likely that the raised letter "I" on the roller will get broken off than any of the other letters. Coins are mass produced and not subject to individual inspection. It is therefore quite easy for a large number to be made before the error was noticed, and it is unlikely that the Royal Mint would have considered it worthwhile to scrap and re-mint any faulty coins, of which there may have been tens, or hundreds and thousands.

What About Other Errors?
If the letter had been omitted completely instead of becoming broken, it is likely that there would be more interest from collectors, as this would have constituted a more interesting variety. It is sometime possible to find coins with raised letters "missing", actually they are usually faint rather than missing, and this occurs because the incuse lettering on the die becomes filled or blocked with debris, and a number of coins are then stamped with one letter less clearly defined than normal.
The type of error which would be more interesting to collectors, and therefore more valuable, is where a letter has been blundered, for example an incorrect letter used. This hardly ever occurs, at least with modern coins, and would therefore be quite rare, adding to the value.
If the wrong obverse (head side) was used , or the wrong lettered edge was applied, for example the edge lettering of the 1999 rugby two pound being used on the normal "four ages" two pounds, this would be considered an important error or variety in its own right, and many collectors would be interested in obtaining a specimen.

More Information
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