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 Replies: 35 / Views: 994 |
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New Member
United States
17 Posts |
Here's just another post by itself other than a greeting. I recently had this certified after a couple long years of waiting. Originally, I sent it to PCGS. I goofed on the submission form twice, and that accumulated around a year and a half of my time, which I just basically gave up on it back in 2022. I almost never got it graded; I was just so discouraged. But at the end of 2025, I sent it to NGC, which took another couple months of my time and disappointment whenever the professionals there tried to call it a regular penny, and I even had a metal analysis performed because that's the only way that you're going to be able to know that it's made of bronze, you know? But after that letdown, I started doing some digging. I reached out to CONECA and talked to a Mark Lighterman, who gave me some information that led to this coin being certified, so I have to give him his due on making all this possible, as well as Jon Sullivan; he's another individual that without, this coin would have never been certified. And after a couple months and some examination, the coin was certified. And what I told Mark and John was that I'm not in a financial hammock over here, lol, and that I don't have the money in the bank to own a penny worth $500, let alone whatever this is worth, you know? And it's a staple, it really is. I believe that it's one of a kind and going to stay a one-of-a-kind due to the small cent being discontinued by our government and no longer a currency that's being produced, which is going to slowly phase out. But it's one out of 4.3 billion. Any small cents that were produced in 2017—well, since 1983—has been primarily minted in copper-coated zinc. But for 2017, there were no copper pennies minted; no specialties, no proofs, no mint sets. Everything was copper-coated zinc. So, finding the one and only legitimate 2017 bronze from the Philadelphia mint—also the year that they sneakily put a mint mark on the small cent coming from the Philadelphia mint and never again. But I'm super, super excited. Hopefully word gets around, and I'm proof that amazing things come about. But yeah, I made a greetings post referencing a handful of 1983 transitional copper planchet errors, and those are on the menu next for certification. I just sent one off today; it might be the finest known example of the 1983 Philadelphia copper transitional. But I'll add a picture of the 2017 for y'all, kk. Oh, by the way, I just sent it to GreatCollections Auction to be auctioned off. Whenever it's listed, hopefully someone with a love for the hobby as much as I've begun to love it and appreciate owning it—it's the only one!  Welcome to the CFF LilyBug18! We moved your post to the modern error Forum for more exposure and replies. *** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum.  *** |
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
10601 Posts |
Amazing! How in the..........  |
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Moderator
United States
16709 Posts |
Very nice error!
swcoin.ecrater.com
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Moderator
United States
15992 Posts |
 to the CCF Amazing find.  I can't image the source for that planchet? |
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Moderator
United States
109116 Posts |
to CCF. wow, this is a great error! |
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Moderator
United States
197248 Posts |
to the Community! |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
9038 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7601 Posts |
to the Community. Nice one! |
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New Member
 United States
17 Posts |
It has an average across the entire coin of 99.1% copper that last tenth of a percent is what got it the bronze designation they tested 10 different spots on the small cent in question around the rim as well as the face of the coin and some locations were 100% copper and other spots or at 99 or somewhere in between.
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New Member
United States
17 Posts |
Thanks, everyone! I agree, the coin is spectacular, and it's definitely a one of a kind 'for the year'. My last reply with the screenshots of what is considered to be a pre-'43 bronze planchet and a post-'82 copper planchet was supposed to be a reply to an individual referencing 95% copper and 5% zinc. I believe that's the post-1945 metal composition for copper pennies—that's what I surmised from the information that was generated. But now I can't seem to find the reply to my original post referencing the metal composition mixture. We actually found the coin in the state of Georgia in circulation when I went up to the register at our truck stop and asked for them to provide me with change from their change machine, which they're no longer doing. It's so sad that the penny is being phased out, and no businesses or anybody will give you a small cents! It's really infuriating because there are billions, if not trillions, of pennies! Where did they all go, you know? Where did they go? Just like when we had that change shortage, and businesses across America started inducing panic by insinuating that there was a shortage of change, which is a joke. I don't know if there are trillions of pennies, but I know there are trillions of coins in general. One trillion is astronomical; it is a very, very big number, and you're telling me that there are none available? Look up the night sky—there are probably as many coins in this world as there are stars in the seeable sky, or pretty close to it! &  https://www.greatcollections.com/kb...-t627-4.html  Also, I added a front and back photo of the coin that is going to be submitted to PCGS. It's also 100% copper; I know this because it's weighing between 2.9 and 3g, which made me set it aside. Also, I am a truck driver, so I have the ability to travel the United States, and I frequent coin shops here and there, one of which is Fox Valley Coins in Naperville, Illinois. Merlin, the shop owner, has some pretty good shop employees, and they had no problem helping me out with testing the coin with their handheld XRF machine (I'm not sure of the exact model, but they said it cost like $30,000—it looks like a futuristic oversized ray gun). But that was able to determine the metal composition of the coin and the screenshot that I added to this reply. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2831 Posts |
Congrats on this error designation!
Did you discover this coin by weighing it?
"Pride is yoked with callous behavior, as humility is with compassion." St. Gregory Palamas Top Finds - 1969-S 1c FS-101 http://goccf.com/t/477681 1976 D WQ FS-101 http://goccf.com/t/382777 - 1968 D 1c FS-801 http://goccf.com/t/422254Cool clashed dies - 1972 D 1c http://goccf.com/t/429855&SearchTerms=CCLStruck-In Rim Burr - 1969 S 1c http://goccf.com/t/425587&SearchTerms=burrFloating (Type II) Counterclash - 1978 D 1c http://goccf.com/t/434991&SearchTerms=1978 |
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New Member
United States
17 Posts |
Yeah, my original scale was only 0.0—one zero after the decimal point—and it weighed consistently between 2.9 and 3 g. I would pick it up, weigh it again, and pick it up and weigh it again, so I knew something had to be off. Also, I found the 1983 one-and-only substandard pre-'83 one-cent planchet that was graded and certified via PCGS."  |
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New Member
United States
17 Posts |
The reason why it was considered substandard by PCGS was because it had an average copper composition of 82%; some spots that they tested were higher, but that was just the average. You wouldn't believe some of the things that I found. Put it like this: it would sound like everybody else just going off the rails talking about how they have found 1983 copper transitionals or a 1943 copper penny (which I wish I would have found one of those, but I sadly didn't). Mainly, I found 1983 copper pennies all over the United States. I think I have five of them now, two of which are in MS condition.  That's a copper 1983 believe it or not it sounds crazy I know but I just sent that one off the PCGS to get certified very easy process just a metallurgy test |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2752 Posts |
It's possible that this coin was struck on a zinc cent planchet with unusually thick copper plating. It's possible the beam failed to penetrate the copper plating to register the underlying zinc. I have a zinc cent with very thick copper plating that weighs 2.9 grams.
Error coin writer and researcher.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
80073 Posts |
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Moderator
United States
15992 Posts |
Quote:
It's possible that this coin was struck on a zinc cent planchet with unusually thick copper plating. That is an intriguing possibility Mike, and would directly address my initial question above of how did a correct size but 99.1% copper planchet get produced. Perhaps PCGS was quick to judgement to certify this as an authentic mint error? |
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Replies: 35 / Views: 994 |
Posted 02/04/2026 04:50 am
