Errors and varieties are a big part of numismatics. Varieties have slowly been increasing in value and popularity over the years, and some can be worth thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars. Everybody talks about finding that $100,000 cent in pocket change (usually a 1909-S VDB). But let's be honest. Your chance of finding a 1909-S VDB is slim to none. Yet these kinds of videos on YouTube have hundreds of thousands, or even sometimes million, of views. Wishful people hoping to strike it rich, only to find their hands empty. I'm here to give you a coin that is realistically found, and I even know a few people who have found this variety! 

When one talks about coin roll hunting, half dollars is a big part of it. Many coin roll hunters ONLY hunt halves, because they can yield a lot of great results. Here's another coin to look for next time you pick up a box, or two, or three. Clad Kennedy Half dollars with no silver content were first minted in 1970 in large quantities. This continued for the first couple of years, until production slowed after the bicentennial (1976). In 1972, the half dollar had two distinct varieties, on of which is valuable, one of which is not. I'm here to tell you how to tell the difference. 

The valuable coin is know as the 1972-D No FG Half Dollar. The Fivaz-Stanton designation in FS-901. This error occurred because the die was ground down to reduce clash marks, and when the dies were grounded, the initials were worn off. This error is also known to occur on 1966 and 1982-P half dollars. It was discovered by Kip Nelson after he heard about the 1982-P Missing FG (discovered by Ron Guth). You can identify it by looking below the right wing of the eagle on the reverse of the Kennedy Half Dollar. I have included a picture for reference. 

Keep collecting,

Thatcoinguy