1923 Lincoln Wheat Cent - Can Someone Give Me Their Opinion On This One

I made coins exactly like this when I was younger. Very simple. You have to bring the coin just before melting point, with a torch or on a stove, hot plate, etc... Then take it off before the coin actually desolves into a molten heap, which is quite quick. Don't know how many coins I destroyed doing this.

Eric

That was my first thought, as well. What holds me up, though, is that E PLURIBUS UNUM has run, indicating the coin was vertical when heated, while none of the other reverse detail did. Would those smaller letters get sufficiently hot to run while the rest of the coin remained cool enough for the details to stay in place? Furthermore, would any of this happen while leaving the obverse relatively unscathed?

I could envision it happening by playing a torch on the top of the reverse, but I would think that ONE would show more damage.

These are genuine questions - I have no idea. Just throwing out thoughts.

I have seen coins that were found in water where they were for long periods of time come out looking like this, with the details "softened".

SuperDave, your absolutely right; it wasn't flat, though not completely vertical. It was tilted. Like I stated prior, I don't know how many of these coins I used to kill.... But the effects were generally all the same. Take a few of the worst of your "Copper" cents and tilt them at about 45deg. For example... If you have an electric stove, turn it on med/high and place the penny so that part of it touches the element. You actually might need a few more bad/worn cents to create this effect right, as not to melt the coin completely..... I'm sure you get the picture. The easiest method is to tilt the coin & use a low flame from a torch, not quite blue...... Trust me, you'll get this effect fast. Don't try to get this effect with the zincolns.... it won't work. The combination in alloys makes for different melting points & the penny just literally turns molten. I don't condone destroying coins anymore, unless there beat all to hell.

Enjoy,
Eric

I wanted to bump this up to the top to see if there are anymore comments.

Copper Coins, an thoughts?

Check out coin # 2 in this image. It has similar markings and the coin was dipped into acid because it is so thin. But not the marks on the obverse around the motto. I think this part down forcing the acid flow around these devices and make the marks noted on the two coins in this thread. See what you think?

I agree, heat did it and it's not a mint error - just doesn't fit anywhere as a mint error. It is interesting, but only so far as to find out what did do this to the coin.