Two different 1960 Luxembourg 25 centimes coins

One coin, when flipped top to bottom to view, the reverse is correct side up.

The other coin when turned left to right to view, the reverse is correct side up.

Not sure of the correct terminology to explain what it is I am seeing can someone let me know the details and maybe some history as to why this is please? A link would be amazing as well.

Thank you in advance.

When turned top to bottom, this is referred to as “coin orientation”, when left to right this is referred to as “medal orientation”. Probably an Americanism, but this is the terminology that seems to be used. Most countries use one or the other, but this is not universal as you have found!

On the coin page, I see that for 1960, both orientations are listed, where medal alignment (front and back have the same side up) seems to be the more uncommon variant.

N#254

Usually, the orientation type used in a country is traditionally one or the other. Coins with another orientation than the expected one are considered mint errors and are usually rare. In postwar Belgium and Luxembourg, this type of error seems relatively common, though.

Nice find!

Many years ago, the Luxembourg 25 centime coin was a coin given as a free gift coin by some U.S. mail order dealers (others were the Lebanon 1955 1 piastre, 1953 Yugoslavia 50 para, Algeria 1964 1 centime and others)    

Ten years ago when I began selling off world coins I had collected as a kid, I found that I had one of these with medal orientation.  It sold on eBay to a collector in Europe for something like $15-20 if I recall correctly (it was UNC … I see our info gives much less of a premium in lower grade).

Yes, nice find!

Thanks for the information from everyone!

I did look at the particular coin page but those photos make it look like the reverse was just printed on a mirror or the date was placed in a different spot. Regardless, I think it's pretty cool as these are the only coins from Luxembourg I have out of the over 1,200 coins in my possession.

Really appreciate everyone and I will continue to peruse the forum and the catalog more as I make interesting finds.