Continuity mistake: When Tony Stark and Col. Rhodes confront the Mandarin in his chair the hammer for the Beretta is forward after Rhodes loaded a new magazine. The hammer is shown in the back position in a subsequent shot. It happens twice during this scene. (01:30:05)
Continuity mistake: After Tony gets the armor back at the Mandarin's hideout and meets up with Rhodes, they go by boat to the harbor. On the way Tony calls the Vice President - during this scene the VP's phone changes, note the camera on the back of the phone is visible, but in another shot right after, it is a completely flat back panel. (01:30:10)
Continuity mistake: When Tony and Rhodes leave the Mandarin's mansion, Tony has blood on his left eye and cheek, which changes to the other eye between shots, then changes again at the boat. (01:30:25)
Continuity mistake: Just before Iron Patriot boards Air Force One he is shown with red illuminated eyes. Later when he enters the office onboard before he takes the president his eye colour changes to blue. (01:31:51 - 01:32:50)
Continuity mistake: When Tony and Rhodey first get noticed as they search the oil platform, one of the Extremis soldiers starts shooting at them. They dodge the bullets and hide. Tony then says "You see that? Nailed it" and he is shown to be looking at Rhodey. Next shot, he's suddenly looking downwards. (01:41:15)
Continuity mistake: When Tony leaves the bar, his hands are cuffed behind his back. When he is shot at in the next scene after jumping through the window, his hands are somehow cuffed in the front of his body. (01:54:50)
Continuity mistake: When Tony is talking with Rhodes at the bar, his chest is not glowing.
Continuity mistake: Colonel Rhodes holds his pistol to the face of the Mandarin in a close up shot, then lowers it. The next instant shot later of Rhodes show him still holding the pistol to the Mandarin's face.
Continuity mistake: The wound on Maya's forehead changes color, angle and position through the film.
Continuity mistake: When Tony is attacked by helicopters in his Malibu mansion, his right hand has a black wrap around it. After he gets buried by rubble underwater in the suit, his right armored hand detaches and grabs his bare right hand to pull Tony out from the rubble. Tony's bare hand no longer has a black wrap.
Chosen answer: The Battle of New York was never specified to take place in 2012, we just know that the film came out then. Based on the newspaper we can assume that the battle was in June 2013, rather than some time in 2012 as many would have previously assumed.