Error Note Chronicles: Insufficient Inking

Paper Money Guaranty® (PMG®) is the world’s leading authority on banknote errors, a popular segment of numismatics. In Error Note Chronicles, we take an in-depth look at different errors. This month’s topic is the Insufficient Inking Error.

An Insufficient Inking Error occurs when the ink fountain doesn’t fill the printing plate with enough ink. This example of an Insufficient Inking Error occurred during the second print, which is when the front of a note is printed. The seals and serial number were unaffected; this is because they are printed at a later time, in the third print. (This particular note is being offered by Heritage Auctions; to learn more, click here.)

1995 $20 Federal Reserve Note (Philadelphia) graded PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated EPQ with Insufficient Inking Error. Click images to enlarge.

An Insufficient Inking Error on a banknote is similar to what happens when someone tries to print something using a computer printer with an ink cartridge that is nearly out of ink. This particular US note shows the error in the first print, when the back of the note is printed. This particular note realized $228 through Heritage Auctions in November 2021.

1977 $1 Federal Reserve Note (New York) graded PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated EPQ with Insufficient Inking Error. Click images to enlarge.

An Insufficient Inking Error can occur with any of the prints. Here is an example where the third print was affected. Notice that some of the digits in the serial numbers are faintly visible, as is a small portion of the green Treasury Department seal that is printed over the large word ONE at right. This particular note sold for $216 at a Heritage Auctions sale in July 2021.

1974 $1 Federal Reserve Note (Atlanta) graded PMG 66 Gem Uncirculated EPQ with Insufficient Inking Error. Click images to enlarge.

Insufficient Inking Errors can also occur on world notes, like this India note. Much of the design on the back of the note is printed too lightly, including the words RESERVE BANK OF INDIA TEN RUPEES across the top. This note was sold in October 2021 by Heritage Auctions as part of a lot of three India error notes that together realized $420.

India, Reserve Bank 2018 10 Rupees graded PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated EPQ with Insufficient Inking Error. Click images to enlarge.

PMG, an independent member of the Certified Collectibles Group® (CCG®), has certified many exciting error notes, including the famous “Del Monte” error note that realized $396,000 in a January 2021 sale.

Collectors and dealers who have error notes can submit them to PMG for certification under an applicable grading tier with “error” or the specific error noted under the Variety/Pedigree column on the submission form. There is no additional fee for this service.

For more information about submitting to PMG, visit PMGnotes.com.

Related Links:

• Error Note Chronicles: Inverted Back
• Error Note Chronicles: Printed Fold Error
• Error Note Chronicles: The PCBLIC Error
• Error Note Chronicles: Misalignment Errors
• Error Note Chronicles: Obstructed Printing Errors
• Error Note Chronicles: Inverted Overprint Errors
• Error Is Human: Part I
• Error Is Human: Part II