No Date. How Does This Happen?

Also the ER and A in America are intersteing ...

Is it me or does the top part of his hair/head seem flat? (Flathead Abe?).

How come I never find things like this - I am so jealous right now!

The cameo seems very week for an old coin. it does appear that his head is flat. Thats one reason I tossed it back into the buscket, I though it had been sanded/rubbed/filled down.

I just re-read the thread. Who or what is copper coins that everyone was waiting for them to comment of this coin?

it looks like a 1993. just by look

Indeed, just to corroborate what has been said (as when someone calls themself an expert in anything you should be skeptical) Charles *is* an expert on Lincoln Cents. One of the finest.

I'll be damned if I see that 1% of the time he says he's off the mark. :-)

I appreciate the comments made above regarding my own expertise, however a number of people already had this one right as to its cause - it's a Grease Filled Die. This is probably on the upper side of extremity, and would probably command a premium of a couple of dollars.

Guessing the year, however, has been all over the board. With regard to the design style and the rather obvious markers for it being a zinc cent, I'm surprised to see guesses anywhere from 194? through 199?. I can help round that down a bit.

First, the profile of Lincoln used on this coin immediately rounds it down to the 1990s. The detail in the beard, the outline of the face, and the detail in the bow tie ALL point directly to the style ONLY used from 1993-1996. The bow tie especially gives this one away as being one of those four years - the left side of the tie (the part sticking out into the field) has a straight bottom. This particular bow tie shape is ONLY found on 1993-1996 cents. As for rounding it down any further, you would need a crystal ball, and mine broke.

I can say, however, that Grease Filled Die coins of this severity tend to be more common on 1993 cents than any other of the aforementioned four year period in which this obverse style was employed. It could be a 1993 cent, but I wouldn't bet on it - chances are best for this date, however.

Another thing that will help round down the date is the reverse of the coin. Dime to a doughnut hole this coin has the close-AM reverse which would help corroborate my attribution.

Thank you Coppercoins (I had no idea we were in the presence of numismatics Royalty) and everyone else who helped out. With this find and the 1959-D delamination that I posted it has been a very fun entrance into the hobby for my daughter and I. We look forward to more find and posts...!