NNP

Off Flan.  Design or lettering not appearing on a struck piece because a smaller than intended planchet was used to strike the piece. The design or lettering is in the die and intended to appear in the struck piece, but too small a diameter blank was used. Obviously, this missing detail is near the edge of the struck piece. The missing portion of the design or lettering is said to be off flan.  The 1791 Liverpool Halfpenny bearing George Washington’s portrait and intended for circulation in America were all struck on too small a planchet with parts of lettering in the legend off flan (Breen 1223).

The same term can be used for missing design and lettering not on a piece that was struck off center but this is to be expected, more so with greater degree off center.

Reference:                                                                                                                            

NC12 Breen, p 138.

excerpted with permission from

An Encyclopedia of Coin and Medal Technology

For Artists, Makers, Collectors and Curators

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY D. WAYNE JOHNSON