COIN RESTRIKES ARE USING THE ORIGINAL DIES OF THE COIN AND STRIKING THE COIN, AT A DIFFERENT TIME THAN THE NORMAL STRIKE YEAR. EG. A 2001 PENNY STRUCK IN THE PRODUCTION YEAR OF 2001 IS AN ORIGINAL. IF IT IS STRUCK AT ANYTIME AFTER THE ORIGINAL PRODUCTION YEAR, IT IS  A RESTRIKE. NOTE: THE ORIGINAL DIES MUST BE USED TO BE A RESTRIKE. TO ME, A RESTRIKE HAS NUMISMATIC VALUE, SINCE IT USES THE ORIGINAL DIES - SO IT IS LIKE THE ORIGINAL IN EVERY WAY. IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD THE ORIGINAL, A RESTRIKE IS A LEGITIMATE NUMISMATIC ITEM OF VALUE, IN MY OPINION.

RESTRIKES ARE USUALLY MADE FOR 2 REASONS:

1) THE ORIGINAL IS SO RARE, IT IS UNOBTAINABLE TO THE PUBLIC, EG. CONFEDERATE COINS (I MEAN REAL CONFEDERATE COINS WITH THE CONFEDERATE SEAL ON THE BACK, ONLY A HANDFUL MADE; NOT NORMAL U.S. 1861-0 HALF DOLLARS THAT WERE MINTED IN LOUISIANA FOR A SHORT PERIOD WHILE THE CONFEDERATE HELD THE MINT). OR IT IS SO COSTLY THAT ONLY THE RICH OR MUSEUMS CAN AFFORD TO BUY THE COIN.

2) THE SAME DIES HAVE BEEN USED TO MINT COINS, WITHOUT EVER UPDATING FOR THE YEAR MADE (STRUCK). THIS IS MOST PREVALENT IN EUROPE AND FOR COINS OF COMMERCE. SEE TWO EXAMPLES BELOW.

SOME COMMON GOLD RESTRIKES ARE THE AUSTRIAN 1915 DUCAT, THE 1945 MEXICAN DOS PESO.

IF THIS GUIDE HAS BEEN HELPFUL, ANY POSITIVE VOTES ARE MUCH APPRECIATED!).

THX KINDLY