1964-D Lincoln Memorial Error

Have you ever tried to torch a penny,if I'm not mistaken it takes some 1800+ degrees to melt copper,if the penny was heated by a torch I would think that the penny would heat evenly obverse and reverse,therefore I would think both sides would have similar reactions I wouldn't expect the ripples to appear running different directions I would also think that getting it that hot ,to where everything started to droop or start to ripple that the coin would wind up deformed ,how did they hold it and if they didn't I would expect one side to be flattens out from laying on a surface,have you ever tried to heat a penny ,I did just to try and duplicate this effect we see,and there was no way,I would expect that if the copper needs to be 1800 degrees to melt, that when it starts to melt there wouldn't be any control to stop it let alone tweak the devices and alter it's appearance like this thanks for looking

acetylene/oxygen flame burns at about 3,773 K (3,500 °C; 6,332 °F).[4]
That's over six thousand degrees for a acetylene torch which I'm very very familiar with. Melting point of copper is one thousand nine hundred eighty four degrees F 1984F. Yes A Lincoln Cent can be melted to the desired effect such as yours.

Jasper 62 could you do us all a favor especially me do you think you can duplicate this image,and can you make the copper ripple in different directions or the obverse rippling go side ways while the reverse rippling goes up and down,and can you torch it in a manner as to not affect the date,liberty and the front of Lincolns face while also making the devices look like they are being re punched and if you think you can duplicate this oddity I would love to see the final results ,I don't see copper rippling when a plumber works with it I'm really interested and awaiting to see what you come up with I don't have an acetaline oxygen set up otherwise I would do it myself thanks

The important thing to realize about this coin is that it did not come from the mint looking like that. There is nothing that could occur during the minting process that would result in a coin with that appearance. The minting process is well documented, and there are several people on this site that have dedicated thousands of hours to understand what can and cannot happen. Whether it was heat, acid, or aliens, the coin was altered after minting. There are a limited number of things that can occur at the mint to produce an actual error or variety coin. After leaving the mint, there are countless ways to alter a coin, and often there is no way to determine 100% what caused it.

Can we see the coin you're talking about. A link to the sight or a picture. Thanks

Give it up folks, "A person convinced against his will is of the same opinion still"...it is starting from the wrong side of a scientific theorem with the result as the proof. "His" guy is right, not you.


BTW, the blue portion of flame of a small bottle propane torch is about 2k degrees, that'll do ya'.

I tried to post the link for the similar coin on coinbook, but it wouldn't let me. I found it listed under the "Other Errors" section.

To me it looks like another heat damaged coin. Since the rippling is on both sides of the coin, it would have had to be basically wrapped in fabric before striking, which I'm pretty sure is impossible. The coinbook website is pretty much like ebay, anybody can pretend they know what a coin is and sell it. It helps to have a place like this forum to help people interested in errors and varieties learn what the real errors look like, how they happen, and how to detect non-errors or faked errors.

It's JUST a damaged coin by getting heated. It's nothing special and can be spent safely. It's 100 percent Post Strike Damage (it happened after it left the U.S. Mint). This is what happened to your coin. No need to ask more questions, as your thread has been answered correctly. End of story, period.