1909-S Lincoln Cent Grade

JimNWLincoln,
Listed on the FAQ page:
http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/faq.asp#edit

Agree with Jim here. They both look to be counterfeit.

On the 09S the portrait is inconsistent with the rest of the obverse devices. An early die state is implied but the entire portrait is weak...illogical for this issue.

Also, I think the slightly angled pictures make it hard to see the proportions of things. I suspect the date/MM look off from an overhead view. Additionally, I don't like the rims and the surfaces are suspect.

When you see a coin like this, trust that very first feeling you get, in the first 3 seconds. If something seems off, then it probably is. This is why buying coins in-hand is FAR superior to the web - you can take a closer look! This 3 second rule I use has worked very well for me over the years. I would estimate it's only been wrong <10% of the time....a closer inspection confirmed.

Thanks Jim!! I agree we need to be able to post educational material. If I hadn't been apart of this forum I most likely would be sitting with two worthless coins in my hand and not knowing otherwise. Thanks guys your the best!