20 cent Euro coin with error

I received a 20 cent Euro coin in my change and I noticed there was what appears to be an extra piece just above the top curve of the number 2. What sort of error is this, and does it hold any value?

supersandwich

I received a 20 cent Euro coin in my change and I noticed there was what appears to be an extra piece just above the top curve of the number 2. What sort of error is this, and does it hold any value?

Sim tem valor, no mínimo 20 cêntimos de euro. 

Hello,

welcome aboard 😃

It's a die defect.

Even though you can see expensive (several hundreds of €) auctions in usual auction website, there are not actual sales prices.

There is no vivid market for such defect coins.

Thank you very much for the explanation! There are so many different types of errors to learn! Very fun 😁

It's called a CUD (A cud on a coin is a damaged area resembling a blob on the surface of a coin. The cud is raised above the field, obliterating the device or inscription where it appears. Cuds result from die cracks or die breaks that have become severe. They can also form from die chips were part of the die surface has become damaged and broken away.

Some experts in the coin error-variety hobby insist that for the blob to be called a cud, the damaged part of the die must include part of the edge of the die. Although this is the purest definition, in everyday numismatic communications you'll see the term "cud" used to describe the blob created by any die chip or serious die crack, regardless of its placement on the die or coin.

More appropriately, it is determined by the size of the damage on the coin die. Slight imperfections are called "died chips." These can happen anywhere on the surface of the die, resulting in spots on the surface of the resulting coin. Where a significant piece of the die breaks away, these result in a "cud."

What Causes Cuds on a Coin? 

As a coin die continuously strikes coins in the coining press, the tremendous pressure used to mint coins causes stress on the metal coin die. Additionally, the friction on the surface of the die from striking the planchets causes the surface of the die to deteriorate. Combine these with a variety of other factors and a coin die can become damaged through normal usage. Eventually, all coin dies will deteriorate and fail in one way or another.

Additionally, the metal collar that holds the planchet centered above the anvil die can sometimes move and get struck by the hammer die. If a die has been in the coining press for a while and has experienced the stresses of coining for a while, a piece of the die can break off. This breakage will leave a damaged coin die that will produce a cud.

In the early years of the United States Mint coin dies were made by hand and were very expensive. Therefore, they were used in the coining press until they deteriorated or produced such low-quality coins that they were no longer deemed adequate to strike coins. Therefore, many early coins have cuds on them because the mint employees were trying to extend the life of the die for as long as possible.

Modern minting processes allow coin dies to be mass-produced and they are significantly cheaper than the early coin dies of the United States Mint. Therefore, at the first sign that a coin die is showing deterioration or stress cracks, the die will be retired in a new die used in its place. This improved quality process has resulted in fewer cuds appearing on modern coins.)