They aren?t errors, but the two varieties of edge lettering on Presidential dollars are eminently collectible.
The Professional Coin Grading Service is doing its bit to fight the online rumor that one or the other version of the edge lettering on George Washington Presidential dollars is an error.
PCGS will authenticate and grade each variety, and it is stressing that both versions are highly collectible though neither is expected to be rare.
When the letters are upside down when the Presidential heads side is up, this orientation is designated Position A. When the lettering is rightside up, this orientation is called Position B on the slab.
Ron Guth, PCGS president, notes, ?The United States Mint applies edge lettering to the Presidential dollars in a separate process after the coins are struck. Neither position is expected to be rare.?
In deciding to slab both minting varieties, Guth said PCGS considered three factors: demand, consumer protection and numismatic precedent.
Collectors have already started collecting both varieties, Guth notes of demand, and variants of edge lettering in 1793 Wreath cents and 1809 half dollars provide ample precedent for notating which way the edge letters are oriented on Presidential dollars.
The consumer protection angle is served by the PCGS Population Report. This will record how many of each orientation are slabbed and in the marketplace.
For more information, check the Web site at www.pcgs.com.
