Off-metal errors occur when a correctly made blank from one denomination is accidentally fed into a press for another denomination. Examples are a nickel struck on a cent planchet and a cent struck on a dime planchet. The coin struck on an incorrect blank will weigh exactly what the denomination of that blank would have been. An even more dramatic wrong planchet error is a coin struck on a previously struck coin of a different metal.

The United States Mint has produced coins for foreign governments at various times during its history. During World War II the U.S. Mints struck coins for the Netherlands, Surinam and Curacao at the Philadelphia Mint in 1943. These blank planchets weighed 3.575 grams, had a diameter of 19 mm, and the composition was 64% silver and 36% copper.

In 1940, Nazi Germany defeated the Netherlands during the War. But the Dutch colonies of Surinam (in northern South America), Curacao (an island in the Caribbean Sea north of Surinam, and part of the Netherlands Antilles), and the Netherlands West Indies were protected by the Allied forces. Subsequently the U.S. Mints struck coins for these 3 countries during the War.

According to public auction records since World War II (75 years) PCGS and NGC have just authenticated and certified a total 5 of 1943 Lincoln Cents struck from blank planchets from these 3 countries.

There is one known struck on a Netherlands 25 Cent planchet that sold in a Heritage Auction for $24k certified by NGC as MS 61. It was pedigreed to the Albert Michael Pratt collection. According to the Heritage Auction write-up, someone "cut a long X into the right obverse field out from Lincoln's chin". This is clearly seen in the photos. The coin was not net graded by NGC. Heritage also stated that "Undoubtedly, this is one of the most intriguing errors we have seen in many years".

There are 2 known struck on Curacao 25 Cent planchets that have sold in public auctions. The most recent was the NGC certified XF 40 that was sold by Heritage Auctions for $14,950 in 2015.

There are only 2 known 1943 Cents struck on a Surinam 25 Cent Planchets. The other one known in an ANACS Fine 12 Damaged Net Graded holder sold for $16,675 in a Bowers & Merena 2006 public auction. This one pictured here is amazingly certified AU 55 PCGS and was in the Fred Weinberg Collection for over 20 years.