Mary and Ray Smith can't make heads or tails of a new presidential dollar coin they found earlier this month. It doesn't have either.
A week after the revelation that some of the coins slipped out of the US Mint without "In God We Trust" stamped on the edge, the Smiths said they found one with nothing stamped on either flat side.
It does have "In God We Trust" on the edge. What's missing is the image of George Washington on the front and the Statue of Liberty on the back. Instead, the Smiths' coin is just smooth, shiny metal.
PHOTO: AP
"We're just so excited," Mary Smith told The Associated Press. "I'm just dumbfounded that we actually found something significant."
Mint spokesman Michael White said officials had not confirmed the Smiths' find. But Ron Guth, a coin authenticator with Professional Coin Grading Service of Newport Beach, California, said after examining it he is certain the coin is authentic.
"It's really pretty rare," Guth said. "It somehow slipped through several steps and inspections."
The couple, who collect coins, bought two rolls of the presidential dollars March 7 after hearing about the earlier mistake. Mary Smith said she thought they might find a "Godless" dollar of their own.
The faceless dollar could be worth thousands of dollars, maybe more, Guth said. The value will depend on how many similar misprints are found, but the Smiths' will always be worth more because it will be the first one independently authenticated, he said.
The Smiths said that when they get their coin back from Guth, they will put it in a bank vault.(AP)
瑪莉與雷．史密斯夫婦搞不懂他們本月初發現的新總統肖像錢幣，因為兩面都沒有圖案。
民眾才披露美國造幣局發行的部分錢幣邊緣沒印「我們信仰上帝」，事隔一週後，史密斯夫婦又說發現了一枚兩面空白的錢幣。
這枚錢幣的邊緣的確印有「我們信仰上帝」，少了的是正面的喬治．華盛頓總統肖像，以及背面的自由女神。相反的，史密斯夫婦的錢幣不過是平滑、亮晶晶的金屬。
「我們感到很興奮，」瑪莉．史密斯告訴美聯社說︰「我們親眼目睹了意義重大的東西，真是目瞪口呆。」
造幣局發言人麥可．懷特說，官員並未證實史密斯夫婦的發現。不過，加州紐波特海灘市專業錢幣評定服務公司的錢幣鑑定家榮恩．古斯說，他檢驗確定這枚錢幣真實無誤。
「這相當罕見，」古斯說︰「這枚錢幣不知是怎麼通過層層關卡與檢驗。」
這對收藏錢幣的夫妻聽聞了先前的錢幣烏龍事件，於三月七日買下兩捆總統肖像錢幣。瑪莉．史密斯說她以為他們會發現「少了上帝」的錢幣。
古斯說，無臉的錢幣可能價值好幾千美元，甚至更高。錢幣的身價將依發現了多少類似的印誤而定。不過史密斯夫婦的錢幣永遠身價第一，因為它會是第一個獨立接受鑑定的錢幣。
史密斯夫婦說他們從古斯手中拿回錢幣時，會把它存在銀行金庫裡。
（美聯社╱翻譯︰賴美君）
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