1988 Lincoln Memorial Cent Error? Brockeage?

Looks like a brokage to me, I've never found one myself.

Here is a definition I found online:

A coin exhibiting an error caused by the failure of the coin press to release the previous coin from the die before striking it. The design from the first coin is imprinted, sunken in reverse, on the second coin. Brokage coins appear to have the same design on both sides with one side showing a reverse or mirror strike which, because the previous coin acts as the die, does not usually have the same quality of detail.

Post mint error. Looks like Jim said, a "Vise Job." Maybe we should call "Miami Vice?"

Man coins like this are so hard to tell if they are authentic from pictures, I would suggest to find a reputable dealer and let him look at it and see what he thinks about it. If the dealer says its a vise job but offers to buy it for "studying purposes" just find another dealer, preferably one that deals in errors

I took this coin to a long time dealer today...he took a long look at it and said it is not a vise job, he said it couldn't have been squeezed and still have all the raised letters and high points.

Thanks for the welcome error, ....I know you are a pro and very good at error coins, but to say 100% sure it is a hammer job just by these pictures may be wrong...the pictures do the coin no justice, I am looking for a QX5 to take better pictures.

As I mentioned, and Errorcoins mentioned it is 100% a squeeze job. Your dealer really is not correct on this one. Looking at both sides of the coin makes it obvious that it was placed between a washer and a coin then put in a vise and squeezed.

I like surprises. A better picture might help and I'm open to changing my mind if I see something different.

Realize that the washer and second coin scenario is still very likely. The LIBERTY and DATE would not be obliterated just pressed down. The raised circular area in the center of the obverse still makes it look like a washer was part of the sandwich.

Let's see what the new pictures reveal when you are able to add them.

The letters on the reverse are reversed so it was pressed from another coin. On a brokerage coin the reverse is normal and the obverse is distorted. If you have a vise, washer Two Cents, you can make one and you will know what it is as YOU made your example to compare with your first coin.