Coin Community Family of Web Sites
Royal Estate Auctions - $1 Coin AuctionsRoyal Canadian Mint products, Canadian, Polish, American, and world coins and banknotes. Specializing in Modern Numismatics Coin, Banknote and Medal Collectors's Online Mall Shop CCF Members on eBay! Vancouvers #1 Coin and Paper Money Dealer 300,000 items to help build your collection!








Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?


This page may contain links that result in small commissions to keep this free site up and running.

Welcome Guest! Registering and/or logging in will remove the anchor (bottom) ads and the security checks. It's Free!

1969-S Lincoln Penny - Floating Roof And Weak FG - Opinions Please

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.
Author Previous TopicReplies: 17 / Views: 473Next Topic
Page: of 2
New Member
dodoal's Avatar
Canada
11 Posts
 Posted 10/19/2026  10:04 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add dodoal to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
Hi everyone,

I'm fairly new to coin collecting and would appreciate some advice on my 1969-S Lincoln Penny.

It appears to have a floating roof on the Lincoln Memorial, along with very weak FG initials.

I'd love to hear your opinions. Would this be considered a collectible variety or simply the result of die polishing? Also, does it have any value above face value?

I've attached photos for reference.

I'm still learning and would appreciate any information or advice.

Thank you!
1969-S-Lincoln-Penny---Floating-Roof-And-Weak-FG---Opinions-Please
1969-S-Lincoln-Penny---Floating-Roof-And-Weak-FG---Opinions-Please
1969-S-Lincoln-Penny---Floating-Roof-And-Weak-FG---Opinions-Please
Pillar of the Community
FsdWarp10's Avatar
United States
777 Posts
 Posted 10/19/2026  10:11 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add FsdWarp10 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
to CCF! The so-called floating roof and the weak FG are the result of excessive die polishing. It is not a variety. There is no additional value. To look for varieties you can go to http://www.varietyvista.com/
Edited by FsdWarp10
10/19/2026 10:14 pm
Moderator
Learn More...
Dearborn's Avatar
United States
109939 Posts
Bedrock of the Community
Errers and Varietys's Avatar
United States
80382 Posts
 Posted 10/19/2026  10:46 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Errers and Varietys to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I agree too. This one is just a spender. There's tons of these. Very common on that year.
Errers and Varietys.
Moderator
Learn More...
jbuck's Avatar
United States
197999 Posts
 Posted 10/20/2026  09:37 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I agree, but you can label and keep it as an example.
Pillar of the Community
srs77's Avatar
United States
3644 Posts
 Posted 10/20/2026  11:07 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add srs77 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Bedrock of the Community
ijn1944's Avatar
United States
19682 Posts
 Posted 10/20/2026  4:44 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add ijn1944 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Yes, keep it as an example.
Bedrock of the Community
JimmyD's Avatar
Canada
21955 Posts
 Posted 10/20/2026  6:07 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add JimmyD to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
A floating roof can potentially appear on any year Memorial cent
as it is the result of die polishing. They are quite common
and regardless of what ebay listings say, they add no premium.
Pillar of the Community
HGK3's Avatar
United States
596 Posts
 Posted 10/20/2026  9:38 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add HGK3 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
It seems like we go through this every time this question comes up. I mean, I get it to an extent. It's not the sexiest variety out there and it is very common, especially in circulated grades.


Quote:
The so-called floating roof and the weak FG are the result of excessive die polishing. It is not a variety. There is no additional value.


I don't love it and wouldn't pay high $$$ for one, but it is a recognized variety.

Coneca thinks it is.

Fivasz and Stanton think it is.

PCGS and NGC think its is.

Lincoln Cent Resources calls it a variety.

It is over polishing of the die, but there are others recognized varieties that are as well. Three legged and two feather Buffalo nickels, as well as the 1922 weak D LWC, just to name a few.


Quote:
They are quite common and regardless of what ebay listings say, they add no premium.


I agree they are common and in circulated grades little to no premium is involved, but auction records are quite clear that this variety gets a substantial premium at higher grades over non variety examples.

Not my cup of tea and I certainly don't fault anyone for not being attached to them either, but they are a variety that some people value.

Pillar of the Community
FsdWarp10's Avatar
United States
777 Posts
 Posted 10/21/2026  12:50 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add FsdWarp10 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Coneca thinks it is.

Fivasz and Stanton think it is.

PCGS and NGC think its is.

Lincoln Cent Resources calls it a variety.


I have hunted Lincoln Cent varieties for a little while now and found a few hundred DDRs, DDOs, and RPMs . I am always willing to learn, however I never remember seeing any varieties on VV, CC or Wexler's that were varieties because of the floating roof? HGK3 can you please provide some examples so I can see what you are talking about? If true, there should be a very many examples of individual varieties you can site as floating roofs occur on many different years of memorial cents.
Edited by FsdWarp10
10/21/2026 02:31 am
Pillar of the Community
FsdWarp10's Avatar
United States
777 Posts
 Posted 10/21/2026  02:06 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add FsdWarp10 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I found a little information about the floating roof cents. Take it for what you will. https://uscoinsguide.com/floating-r...%20varieties.

Also, I did a quick search and could not find a single NGC or PCGS LMC slab with the words floating roof on it. Maybe there are some, but I could not find them?

I did find a 1969D FS-901 that has a floating roof, however it is a variety because it is missing the FG, not because it has a floating roof.

So, at this point I stand by what I said originally. This is likely one of those issues that we will have to agree to disagree...
Edited by FsdWarp10
10/21/2026 02:43 am
Pillar of the Community
HGK3's Avatar
United States
596 Posts
 Posted 10/21/2026  10:39 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add HGK3 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
First, a mea culpa.

I read the OP as being in regard to the 1969 D variety rather than in regard to the 1969 S that was pictured. Silly mistake made in haste.

That said, everything I wrote was in regard to the 1969 D variety, so we are in agreement concerning the pictured 1969 S LMC.

The only quibbles I have are first the name "No FG" is not entirely descriptive of the variety. In order to qualify, the 1969 D variety must be missing both the FG and the roof lines. "No FG" is just a shortened descriptor and sometimes accuracy is sacrificed in name choice. Remember when the 1988 LMC variety was called "1988 WAM" for all those years even though technically " WAM" was the normal reverse?

Second, despite the name, Variety Vista does not include all known varieties. Love the site, use it almost every day, but they don't include a number of varieties that don't fall into the categories they have listed, such as the Buffalo nickel varieties I mentioned before.

I use the site and recommend it, but it's not definitive by any means so don't assume if it's not listed it's not a recognized variety.

Again, apologies for misreading the OP and taking this down a (slightly) different road that it didn't need to go down.
Pillar of the Community
FsdWarp10's Avatar
United States
777 Posts
 Posted 10/21/2026  3:52 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add FsdWarp10 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
No problem HGK3,

I can't remember how many times I have misread or misinterpreted posts. I did so just recently...Happens to all of us.
Valued Member
J-Tal's Avatar
United States
117 Posts
 Posted 10/21/2026  5:01 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add J-Tal to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
delisted as a Varity.
It was listed in the 5th edition of the Cherry Pickers Guide because they thought the mint made a mistake and left the FG off the die.

Then it was figured out it was an over polished die and it was removed from the 6th edition
Pillar of the Community
FsdWarp10's Avatar
United States
777 Posts
 Posted Yesterday   3:27 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add FsdWarp10 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
delisted as a Varity.
It was listed in the 5th edition of the Cherry Pickers Guide because they thought the mint made a mistake and left the FG off the die.

Then it was figured out it was an over polished die and it was removed from the 6th edition


J-Tal, Thanks for the information.
Pillar of the Community
Learn More...
Petespockets55's Avatar
United States
5913 Posts
 Posted Today  10H 4M ago  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Petespockets55 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I agree JBuck and 100% with HGK3. (Floating Roofs/No FG are not my cup of tea either.) It is a variety though. These are not very desirable or "mainstream" to most collectors.

Varieties deviate from a "normal" coin made by the mint and have multiple examples of the same die pair. Some varieties are valuable monetarily and some are not. It kind of depends on collector interest and demand.
Words of encouragement are one of the major food groups.
We need to consume them regularly to thrive and grow.
  Previous TopicReplies: 17 / Views: 473Next Topic
Page: of 2

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.



    




Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us  |  Advertise Here  |  Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum © 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Forums
It took 0.37 seconds to rattle this change. Forums