1971 Lincoln Penny (Size Of Dime) Plus Other Error Strange?

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

Author	Replies: 7 / Views: 6,277
mds308 Pillar of the Community United States 1721 Posts	Posted 03/16/2012 3:56 pm Thanks again to all the posters and viewers. Here's a strange one. In 1981, I was at a Taco Bell and when the cashier was making change this little guy fell out of a roll of dimes. I asked if I can have it and she said she needed ten cents. How could I go wrong? Over the years I've showed it to a few people and all they do is scratch their head. I forgot all about the coin until 3 years ago when I moved. I found it in one of my keepsake boxes. Using my micrometer, the diameter is 17.72mm and a dime is 17.74mm. The coin appears to be copper. The most unusual part is the incised, backwards 19? on Lincolns head. The edge is different too. Feel free to post question or if you need to see other pictures. I can't email you because I'm a new poster. Five pics total. 1. Is it an error? 2. Any value? Report this Post to the Staff

CaptainFwiffo Pillar of the Community United States 4132 Posts	Posted 03/16/2012 4:08 pm Somebody modified that coin so it would pass as a dime. The edge has been milled down, and it's been squashed against another coin in a vise (resulting in the flattened features and the reversed impression of a date). These are not uncommon, but they're usually a lot more crude - this one was done with care. Usually they just grind the edge down on a sidewalk or pound it down with a spoon. The biggest question is why somebody would put that much effort into modifying a cent this heavily. Surely there was more than nine cents worth of labor involved. The only thing I can think is that they were somehow modifying them by whole rolls at a time. Report this Post to the Staff
bpoc1 Rest in Peace United States 4078 Posts	Posted 03/16/2012 4:36 pm The Captain pretty well nailed the coin IMHO. With questions like these and photo's we all learn. Thanks Report this Post to the Staff
clairhardesty Pillar of the Community United States 1027 Posts	Posted 03/16/2012 4:48 pm When you don't have nine cents, labor is free. More than likely it was done by a kid in shop class who hasn't figured out the whole cost of labor thing yet. Report this Post to the Staff
kookoox10 Pillar of the Community United States 1054 Posts	Posted 03/16/2012 5:57 pm Incuse clash strike=hammer job :( Report this Post to the Staff
southsav Pillar of the Community 2224 Posts	Posted 03/16/2012 9:38 pm Wow, 31 years later and you can still provide some provenance for that coin. Report this Post to the Staff
mds308 Pillar of the Community United States 1721 Posts	Posted 03/17/2012 09:59 am To SOUTHSAV: I'm not sure if you were mocking me or being complimentive. I may be getting older but I have a great memory. I collect a lot of different things and can tell you (about 80% of my stuff) where each item came from and how much I paid. Either way, thanks (I guess). PS Maybe I used a little TMI. Report this Post to the Staff
SteveCaruso Pillar of the Community United States 1796 Posts	Posted 03/17/2012 8:37 pm I've known them as "copper dimes" or "grinder dimes." To put it into perspective, in 1970 a pack of gum or a pack of baseball cards from a vending machine was worth 10 cents. Making one of these gave a rather tidy profit for a kid. :-) Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 7 / Views: 6,277

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

All Forums Category: US Coins and Currency Forums Forum: US Modern Variety and Error Coins

Silver Gold Bull US is the United States leading bullion dealer. We deliver gold coins, gold bars, silver coins, silver bars and precious metals to your door. Order today!

The First Dollar, your premier source for bullion and rare coins. See our bullion list on the site and the coin inventory on ebay.

View Last 100 New Topics

View Last 100 Active Topics

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

It took 0.28 seconds to rattle this change.