I have a question I hope someone would answer please.why on some Lincoln cents the L in Liberty rides up on the rim? It doesn't seem to me that should be happening really I may be wrong but to me it just seems very odd.And if it does ride up twoards the rim is that an error.also if it is an error would it be a valuable one?thanks
There are a few reasons why this might happen and without seeing the cent it's hard to give you an exact answer.
However, probably the most common cause of this kind of thing is a worn out die. As the die pounds out a coin, the forces involved in the collision between die and planchet travel laterally along the face of the die towards the edges.
That means that after 250,000 or so cents the die has changed and the devices have started shifting towards the edge of the coin.
After 500,000 - 700,000 coins the die are in even worse shape and sometimes the devices can blur into the rim or disappear partially.
Look up "Very Late Die State" or VLDS in the search box and you'll get tons of pictures.
It would have helped if you would have said what year your LMC was. In the earlier years the L almost touched the rim to start with. When the die was revised, it was moved slightly away from the rim.
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