1974 Aluminum Penny

If I understand correctly, in 1973 copper soarded and the cost of making a cent was, well, near one cent.

So, the US Mint went to Congress for a bailout. They were given permission to mint the cents in aluminum in late 1973. The mint got a jump on things and already had minted a gazillion coins dated 1974, on standby, ready to distribute.

Falling to the pressure of public outcry, the mint caved and destroyed all of the aluminum cents except for a dozen or so that were out on "loan" to the politicians we all hear about. The majority were returned and the few that didn't got stuck with names like "sticky fingers".

So, the blanks were flushed before the dies.

I think the large date dies were the initial run in 1974, because it was believed that the metal would flow better into the dies for the proposed aluminum cent that never happened.

Then the change to small date dies took place.

Hey, I think some of this is starting to stick.

I would have to go back to some of the stories I read on the subject for specific dates, etc., but the following is much closer to the reality of what happened...

In 1973 the officials saw the need to change cent alloy because of the price of copper. They received approval to experiment with different alloys and metals. Their first known attempt was a core of steel either plated or clad with brass. These coins, dated 1974, were minted in late 1973. Problems with their production halted testing. The next test was for aluminum...again dated 1974, some 210,000 coins were struck at West Point in either late 1973 or early 1974. A number of pieces were passed out at a house committee meeting, some of which were not returned. The coin never passed muster and was never produced for distribution. The remaining test pieces were destroyed. The public never knew about the project, so there was no 'outcry'.

With regard to the 1974 large and small date cents, because the aluminum cents are all large date and were struck before the year began, it seems safe to assume that the large date dies were produced and used first. It also seems safe to assume that the small date hubs were produced to 'improve metal flow' or something close to that, but the truth of the situation is that there is no documented reason for the change or which of the two came first. The only absolute proof that we have is that there are indeed two different obverse design varieties for 1974 cents, that both were used at all three mints, that the population of resulting coins are about equal in number, and that all known proof cents from 1974 are large date.

The most interesting part of 1974 cents is the following:

1. that the San Francisco mintmark was changed in 1974. All known large date cents have the old mintmark while all known small date cents have the new mintmark.
2. that proof cents show both styles of mintmarks in relatively equal numbers, but all proofs are large date.
3. that 1975 cents show lettering in the style of 1974 small date cents.
4. that the aluminum cents from 1974 show the large date style.

It only makes sense that the large date came first, and the small date came second, and that the change probably occurred somewhere around the middle of 1974 cent production.

That is part of their job. Whether they would do it is questionable, but if I had a 1974 aluminum cent the last place I would broadcast it is on the internet.

I've been scratching my head trying to figure out where I read this and finally found it. From PCGS:

"In fact, it went so far as to actually produce more than 1.5 million aluminum cents during the closing weeks of 1973. These were dated 1974 and apparently were intended for issuance after the start of the new year. But strenuous opposition arose from the vending-machine industry, which claimed the lighter-weight coins would jam its equipment, and also from the medical profession, which said they would pose a health threat if swallowed. In the midst of all this controversy, the price of copper receded -- so the Mint threw in the towel and continued making cents from brass until 1982, when it changed their composition to the present content, which is predominantly zinc with a copper barrel plating."

Exactly. Even selling it would bring massive attention to it. I would just slip it in my Dansco and enjoy it

Could this be one of the replicas (aluminum plate) with the Reverse word "COPY" deliberately obfuscated?