Roberto Jovel writes:

The parameters for numismatic collecting are very heterogeneous. We cannot say that there is one right way to collect; rather, it depends more on the tastes and possibilities of each collector. One avenue for coin collecting has been the search for pieces in the best possible state of preservation. This has recently led to the adoption of the certification system introduced by the collecting community in the United States of America, based on a numerical-adjective classification system that classifies and encapsulates coins according to their state of preservation and certifies their authenticity. For several years now, this system has begun to be applied to coins from different parts of the world, sparking a race among collectors to obtain those pieces with the highest classifications.

While the perfection of a coin is desirable, imperfection is also a matter of collecting. Here, too, the United States has played a vital role in the study and classification of so-called "errors," which brings us to the importance of understanding the different stages of coin manufacturing and the minting processes at different times and in different minting houses.

In Central America, this interest in the study of errors is relatively recent, as collecting them was not necessarily based on an established classification for our particular coins. Although we have had important works on the history of our coins for over half a century, manuals or catalogs of errors are very recent.

In the case of El Salvador, the task of publishing a study of coin errors has been undertaken by the prominent Central American numismatic researcher Roberto Jovel and the young and experienced numismatist Leonel Barillas, under the title "Salvadoran Coins with Errors." Jovel and Barillas, with the support of Ricardo Recinos, Iván Zelaya, and Alejandro Safie, conducted an exhaustive search for Salvadoran coin specimens with errors from various collections and the internet, supported by error classifications for coins from both the United States and other parts of the world. This allowed them to develop the classification based on the circumstances of the different stages of the manufacturing process: during the manufacture of the blank, during the manufacture of the die, and during the minting process.

In this book, each of the coins identified with errors is duly identified, described, and referenced, including the mint where the error occurred.

This allows us to understand the most common errors by mint. The work also includes a chapter on "Some Special Cases," which examines some coins that may appear to contain errors, but whose historical circumstances, conducted by the authors, explain the reasons for the differences.

This book-catalog of errors represents a well-crafted study that demonstrates the authors' extensive knowledge of Salvadoran coins. It is a pioneering work for El Salvador that will provide collectors with a well-reasoned manual for identifying and classifying the country's errors, learning more about coin manufacturing processes, and expanding their knowledge of numismatic history. It is a must-have reference and should be included in every numismatic library, not only for collectors of Salvadoran coins but also for Central American ones.

Dr. Manuel Benito Chacón Hidalgo
Curator, Numismatic Museum of Costa Rica

Roberto adds: