Typos can happen to anyone, but these cases show just how big the impact can be.
The Coin
There’s a low-value coin collectors now pay a premium for: a few thousand misstruck pesos from Chile. Released between 2008 and 2009, these coins mistakenly spell “Chile” as “Chiie,” swapping the L for an I. Shockingly, no one noticed until late 2009, long after the coins were in circulation. The mint’s president paid the price—he was immediately fired.
Failed Mission
NASA’s first Venus probe, Mariner-1, had to be destroyed minutes after launch due to a “guidance error.” The culprit? A missing hyphen in the rocket’s code caused it to veer off course, resulting in a $180 million loss.
Discounted Flight
In 2006, Italy’s Alitalia accidentally sold business class tickets between Toronto and Larnaca for $40 instead of $4,000. The news spread like wildfire, and by the time they caught on, 2,000 passengers had bought tickets. The airline had no choice but to honor the fares, costing them nearly $8 million.
The Costly Comma
In 1972, a U.S. tax reform exempted imported goods from taxes—including tropical fruit trees like lemon, orange, and banana. But a misplaced comma changed the meaning: instead of exempting fruit trees, it exempted fruits and trees separately. This loophole let all imported fruit enter tax-free. Courts sided with importers, forcing a law change and costing the government $103 million.
Stock Market Blunder
Japan’s Mizuho Securities faced its costliest typo in 2005 when a trader meant to sell one share at 610,000 yen but accidentally sold 610,000 shares at 1 yen each. The loss was at least $2 million, possibly closer to $3 million. The incident exposed weaknesses in the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s system, which delayed canceling the error. Mizuho nearly went bankrupt, sued the exchange, and won. Since then, many Japanese firms have tightened their internal controls to prevent similar mistakes.
The Naughty Bible
In the 1600s, about a thousand copies of a now-famous “naughty Bible” were printed. The sixth commandment missed the word “not,” turning “Thou shalt not commit adultery” into “Commit adultery!” Today, these rare Bibles are prized collector’s items.
