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 Replies: 8 / Views: 895 |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
864 Posts |
Hi,
First and before you ask - NO I can not post a pic. Am not set up to do that currently, but as soon as I am and can, I will post pics.
I have a 1990 D Liberty penny that's extremely curious.
The forehead of Abe has some black gunk, it has a satiny sheen, embedded in an elongated shape (think short/fat-grain of rice) in the front top of the forehead, between hairline and bump above brow.
It looks like the black stuff is "filling where metal should be" as the black stuff looks concaving in the center but coins metal surrounding very slightly above the black stuff (this and the concave say metal is missing where forehead fullness should be).
Two other oddities about it:
Directly centered at the top of the coin the flat (sides of coin)edge has a single straight line etched there, aligned where the gunk below is placed.
Liberty: the "E" ... I've looked at other coins to check the normal E's and the center jut of this E is very obviously jutting upwards plus the whole upper level of the "E" is off ... firstly the jutting upwards middle part, and then the rest of the top mis-shapen/flattened somehow.
Questions:
What in the minting process is black and hard satiny sheen that can get embedded in a penny? (I really think this black gunk happened during the making of the penny)
Very sorry I can't do pics as I know that makes it difficult to figure out, but am hoping someone might know what what the embadded stuff is all about. It's really very starnge!
Thanks.
Dottir.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7629 Posts |
Well, since you cannot post a pic, we will have to take wild stabs at what you have.
One of two things come to mind...either the coin was struck through grime on the die, or you have counting machine wheel damage. Which one it is would have to wait for an image...sad but true.
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Pillar of the Community
 Canada
864 Posts |
Thanks! :( Wish I could post a pic.
Would you, or anyone, happen to know of a good link that explains and shows images of what "struck through grime" and counting wheel damage can look like? Just some samples as ideas?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7629 Posts |
I don't. There are so many forms of damage and other minor things that can happen in the minting process, I highly doubt there's anyone who has devoted time and money to a website to show you what isn't valuable.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
864 Posts |
Thanks for answering Coppercoins. I've been doing a lot of searching on error coins and such and haven't come up with anything close as yet. I'll keep looking though, and also keep trying to find a way to post. Have meant to go to the library and ask regards scanning coins but haven't been able to handle an outing, as I had hoped.
Whatever the black stuff is it's rock hard it seems. Smoothish and as hard as the metal, if not harder I think LOL
I take it you think whatever this is may bot have any value (other than just an odd coin perhaps?)
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
62064 Posts |
I would save it for now till you can have your eye trained a little better. Maybe later you may know for sure if it is spendable or not. But usually the term black and Cent doesn't hold much help for a coin. Some BU coins were damaged by grease, some burned, or what ever. But the value is greatly decreased when the term black is mentioned.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
864 Posts |
I have no idea when I found this penny, but have kept it for years (can't recall when I got it in change) because of it's strangeness. I call it my melanoma cent because that's the first thing I think of when I look at it LOL and want to know the story of what happened more than anything else. Very curious. There looks to be a problem at and under the eye too but will need to see more examples of 1990 Denver pennies to know what a "normal one" should look like.
It's definately circulated and can't help but wonder how many people since 1990 have had this penny and how it eventually ended up here in Canada ... and why no one kept it as just an odd conversation piece :D
Yes, I'll hang onto it and will definately post a pic as soon as I'm able, as I'm sure people in here are curious to see it now too!
Dottir.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3507 Posts |
Counting machine damage can take on many forms but the most often seen effect is concentric rings on one side of the coin or other. It is caused by a scraping motion by the counting machine. If you see any letters that are scraped, often the LIB of LIBERTY and some of the IN GOD WE TRUST can be effected, you probably are looking at counting machine damage.
Keep in mind that any kind of "gunk" grease, dirt, discoloration, grime, etc. etc. can easily end up on a coin after it left the Mint.
Thanks,
Bill
PS: If you happen to have a flatbed scanner and not a camera and you know how to crop an image, you can probably scan the coin with enough clarity that we can give you an idea. Just a thought...
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
864 Posts |
Hey Thanks Bill. I think you just answered a question I have about a 2001 Canadian dime I have with the concentric rings on it's obverse :) The circle does go through the words and date. I've seen a couple of coins in past with those perfect circles rings and wondered what could have made them, if someone tried to cut them or what! LOL
I will assume counting machine damage means the coin is still only worth a dime then?
Regards the US penny, whatever the black stuff is, it definately "appears to be embedded" from when it was made as it looks like it's filling an area where metal should be but isn't, and is immovable and solid/hard, stuck right INTO the coin. I'm sure this happened when the coin was actually being made.
I don't have a scanner and haven't been able to manage an outing to the library to ask if it can be done there and emailed to myself. My computer does have photo programs so should be able to crop no problem ;)
Dottir.
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Replies: 8 / Views: 895 |
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Posted 03/02/2008 02:17 am
