Here's a list of coins notorious for having weak strikes. Within these issues, the collector may find a good strike only 5% to 10% of the time.

What causes coins to have weak strikes? There are two main causes occurring during the minting process, creating loss of definition in the resulting coin.

1. Excess Die Wear.  Dies used for a prolonged period show various signs of wear, including loss of detail and die cracks.
2. Grease.  Grease is used on dies to prolong their life. This also creates a buildup of grease, dirt and other matter in recessed areas, limiting the detail during striking. Where a "blob" of grease rests on a die, the resulting coin may display poor detail in just a single area.

Other minting process reasons for weak strike include improper pressure of the press and poorly prepared planchets.

The collector needs to learn which issues within his/her collecting field come weakly struck. Series-specific publications are often very informative. If an issue comes weakly struck, the collector must decide whether it's feasible or desirable to wait for a specimen with an above-average strike, to skip the issue, or to settle for an average strike for that poorly struck issue. Don't expect the impossible!

INDIAN CENTS 1886 Ty.2 LINCOLN CENTS 1922 Plain 1923-S 1924-S 1925-S LIBERTY NICKELS 1912-S BUFFALO NICKELS 1916-S 1918 1918-S 1919-S 1920-D 1920-S 1921-S 1923-S 1924-D 1924-S 1925-S 1926-D 1928-S MERCURY DIMES 1918-D 1918-S 1919-D 1919-S 1924-S 1931-S 1945

STANDING LIBERTY QUARTERS 1916 1918-S 1919-D 1919-S 1920-S 1924-D 1928-D WALKING LIBERTY HALF DOLLARS 1917-D Rev. 1917-S Rev. 1918-S 1919-D 1919-S 1920-D 1920-S 1935-D 1940-S 1941-S 1944-S MORGAN DOLLARS 1891-O 1892-O 1894-O 1901 1921-S PEACE DOLLARS 1921 1923-S 1925-S 1928-S

Important Note: When you find a sharp strike in a date known to be weakly struck, it generally costs more than a piece with an average strike.