Treasure Hunting in Presidential Exonumia: How to Spot Rare Errors Before They’re Gone Forever

Most people look right past the tiny details that can turn a common item into a rarity worth thousands. As Joe Levine’s Presidential Coin & Antique Company liquidates its historic inventory after 50 years in business, a unique opportunity emerges for error hunters to examine presidential exonumia with fresh eyes. The medals, badges, and inaugural items moving through the market right now may contain minting anomalies that even seasoned collectors overlook – if you know where to look.

Why Presidential Exonumia Deserves Your Attention

For half a century, Joe Levine built a reputation as America’s foremost expert in presidential inaugural medals – those often overlooked commemoratives struck for every inauguration since George Washington’s. Unlike regular coinage, these medals were produced in smaller quantities with less quality control, creating perfect conditions for errors:

• Lower Production Runs: Most inaugural medals had mintages under 10,000
• Experimental Striking: Many used non-standard metals and oversized dies
• Multiple Manufacturers: Produced by private mints alongside the US Mint

“I found him to be not only knowledgeable but a good cataloguer and helpful with questions,” noted one forum member, highlighting Levine’s meticulous documentation of variants.

Four Critical Error Types to Hunt

1. Die Cracks in Oversized Medals

The large dies used for inaugural medals (often 60mm+) were prone to stress fractures. Examine the reeded edges and lettering on:

• 1905 Theodore Roosevelt medal by Augustus Saint-Gaudens
• 1921 Warren G. Harding small eagle variant
• 1933 FDR inaugural with Art Deco design

Look for jagged lines radiating from central design elements, particularly where relief is highest.

2. Double Struck Presidential Badges

Police and security badges from inaugurations were often struck on repurposed equipment. The forum mentioned Levine’s inventory included “police badges” – prime candidates for:

• Overlapping design elements
• Ghost lettering along edges
• Incomplete strikes from misaligned dies

3. Mint Mark Variations in Sterling Silver Items

Early 20th century inaugural plates and medals often contain:

• Conflicting hallmarks (Gorham vs. US Mint marks)
• Misplaced mint marks (Philadelphia “P” on Denver-struck items)
• Date overdates visible under 10x magnification

“I keep both silver Eisenhower [items] but just scrapped all the silver ones after him,” lamented one collector – potentially destroying error specimens.

4. Christmas Card Printing Errors

Levine’s inventory includes presidential holiday cards – look for:

• Offset color registration (especially on LBJ and Nixon eras)
• Paper fold errors during embossing
• Misprinted dates in gold foil

Case Study: The Harding Medal Hunt

Forum members identified the 1921 Harding inaugural medal as the “toughest one of all.” With only 473 original bronze specimens struck, error hunters should examine:

• Reverse die cracks near the eagle’s wingtips
• Doubled lettering on “INAUGURATION”
• Variations in berry clusters on olive branches

A 2021 Stack’s auction realized $9,600 for a Harding medal with dramatic die cracks – nearly triple guide price.

Provenance Matters: The Levine Factor

Items from this liquidation carry special significance. As one collector recalled:

“Once I had a minor complaint about an Inaugural medal I received. He immediately shipped a replacement out at his own expense and also included a check to cover return postage.”

This integrity means:

• Authenticity guaranteed for error discovery
• Accurate historical documentation available
• Potential pedigree premium for future sales

Timing Your Hunt

With Levine’s retirement, material is entering the market through:

• Direct purchases via jlevine968@aol.com
• Secondary market listings as collectors resell
• Future auctions of remaining inventory

Error hunters should prioritize:

1. Pre-1933 silver inaugural medals
2. Security badges with visible wear patterns
3. Complete sets of presidential Christmas cards

Tools for Success

Equip yourself like the experts:

• 10x-20x Jewelers Loupe: Essential for die crack identification
• Riker Mounts: Safe examination of fragile paper items
• Newman Portal: Access Levine’s digitized auction archives

As we bid farewell to a numismatic institution, remember that the greatest tribute to Joe Levine’s legacy may yet be discovered in the subtle anomalies hiding within his former inventory. That slightly misaligned Truman badge, the Kennedy plate with uneven edging, or the Hoover Christmas card with double-printed signatures – these are the minutiae that transform ordinary collectibles into historic treasures. The hunt begins now.

Related Resources

You might also find these related articles helpful:

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