This major mint error was just discovered! A missing clad layer on the 1776-2026 President Trump dollar. It was issued by the U.S. Mint commemorating 250 years of the United States. The obverse features a portrait of Donald J. Trump and the reverse features the Presidential Seal. The shield contains the inscription "250" to honor the Semiquincentennial of the United States. These were available from the U.S. Mint in collector 25-coin rolls and 100-coin bags with a product limit of 150,000 rolls and 50,000 bags.
NGC offers the Advance Releases™ designation for select coins that are purchased by designated mint customers prior to the publicly posted first day that a mint makes a new coin issue available for sale. This missing clad layer mint error was authenticated and certified by NGC, graded MS 65 and given the Advance Releases™ designation.
A missing clad layer is a coin that has one of its two outer clad layers missing from its copper core. As a result the coin with a missing clad layer will show the copper core on one side and the regular outer layer on the other side. The weight of a mint error with a missing clad layer is less than a normally struck coin. A normally struck Trump dollar has a weight of 8.1 grams. This Trump dollar missing clad layer has a weight of 6.1 grams since its missing the obverse clad layer.
Dave Camire is one of the most accomplished numismatists of all time and an expert in the minting process. He is the NGC Senior Vice President, Conservation & Grading and has been the NGC authenticator for mint errors since 1999. He is also the NGC Modern World Coin Grader and Finalizer. Dave Camire just authenticated and certified this missing clad layer and gave the following description:
The U.S. Mint's website lists the coin's composition as 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese, 2% nickel, balance copper. This coin is actually composed of three layers, like our dimes, quarters, and half dollars. However, in this case, the coin has a pure copper core with two outer layers of manganese brass (.770 copper, .120 zinc, .070 manganese, and .040 nickel).
Visually, this coin has a "coppery" obverse instead of the "golden" color found on the reverse. The coin is graded NGC MS65. While this may not seem a "high" grade in today's market of MS69 and MS70 coins, it actually is, as the weakness of the strike has to be taken into consideration (due to the thinness of the planchet). A very cool and visually stunning error!
- Dave Camire
Major mint errors discovered on U.S. coins since 2020 are extremely rare and are very valuable. In addition, there are very few major mint errors on U.S. commemorative coinage. This discovery mint error belongs in a collection of major mint errors or commemorative coinage.
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