Regular readers of this column may recall two previous articles
dedicated to stutter strikes (Dec. 28, 2009; July 25, 2011).
Arising under disparate conditions, stutter strikes are
generated by brief, early die contact and appear as an outlying
crescent of die-struck design that is restricted to one face.
The continuation of the hammer die’s downstroke generates the
definitive strike, which lies medial to the stutter strike.
Three types of stutter strikes have been defined. All are rare,
with Type III being the rarest. I had assumed that the hammer
die would generate the crescent of die-struck design in all
three types. That assumption has now turned out to be too
restrictive, at least with respect to Type III stutter strikes.
My assumption was falsified by an off-center dime that was
recently sent to me by Matt Dinger, owner of Lost Dutchman Rare
Coins in Indianapolis ( It displays a Type III stutter strike on
the reverse face, which was struck by the anvil die. The outer
edge of the struck tongue of meta