This Lincoln Cent Is It A 1994/7...?..strange Coin

@madcow, first welcome to CCF. Second, there is a scratch on this coin that kinda looks like a number 7-not an over date.

Agree, much larger pics needed.



to the CCF!

"it is a 7 not a scratch". Ok then why ask us? We will tell you it is not an error and you will insist that it is. And the earth is flat.

Over dates are a 18/19th century thing that ended in 1908. Th dies were pretty much then each its own creation for several years. Slowly more and more was added to the hub. But we still had a few years that it continued, but it was the use of two different year hubs that caused these in the 20th century. These are consider doubled dies, as they had two different hubs that were used on them. But in the previous examples in the past, the digits were punched individually/gang punched into the dies for the dates. But since 1908 all the devices were on the hubs. Later when mintmarks were added to the coins, they were punched into the die until 1989. Then in 1990, the mintmarks were part of the design. Today they are pretty much normal. So to assume that they still happen, it kind of pointless to see something that looks like something, that is not raised, is not on the die. Most of the time they are incuse marks that are damage, or a stain on the surface of the coin.