1935-S Lincoln Wheat Cent With Thick S?

It's a combination of a typical deep punch, Machine Doubling, a small die chip, die wear, and coin wear. In other words, a lot of little things came together to make it look odd, but didn't add any value to the coin in doing so.

This is not a die variety. It's just a normal coin.

Ok - is a die variety allowed to be due to damage to the die?

By the way, while I appreciate your expertise and wisdom, I don't understand why you feel it is necessary to declare the value (or lack thereof) of coins you discuss, even when that's not the question.

Perhaps not EVERYBODY is dumb enough to think their coin is worth big $$$.

I just want to be educated here, and I don't care if I card a "normal coin". I wouldn't be the first.

bibd - A die variety is doubling on the coin - a doubled die, repunched mintmark, over mintmark. Nothing else.

Die cracks and die breaks, Die Deterioration Doubling, etc. are all normal parts of wear and tear on a die. None are worth anything, all are very common.

Why I state value or lack thereof? That's because it educates everyone who reads the post, and a lot of people are interested in collecting coins that have value. Some tend to assume the coins must have value when people go to the trouble to post images of them. When it is stated that they don't add value to the coin, it makes it clear to everyone that the coin is not 'of value' because of the flaw. It's not intended to shoot anyone down, and it's not to be 'better' than anyone else. It's a simple matter of fact, and when I can state value or lack thereof, I do.

Regarding answering the question posted - I do that and more when I can. I provide all the information I have on a subject, I don't just 'answer the question'. Through 15 years of teaching people I have found that if you explain a subject asked in detail, there's a whole lot less room for misinterpretation, and less likelihood of a follow-up question I could have answered before asked. Pay a nickel get a dime worth of candy...why complain?

Regarding 'dumb'...I don't assume anyone is dumb. I do assume there are a lot of people who read these posts who are uneducated in the subject, thus why they read the posts. Remember that there are more than twice the number of people who read here and never post than those who actually post. I'd say the number exceeds 100 people. I explain subjects in enough detail to give the ones who are shy all the answers they may seek by reading the thread. You see, it's not all about the person who posted the question, and it's important to remember that.

As for what you collect or what anyone else here collects - that's all on you. My job here is to steer people toward what's valuable should they decide to listen. There are tons of valuable coins that are scarce out there for the finding. There is plenty of room for all of us to build collections that are marketable, or will be to their family members once they are gone. Once again, it's not all about you. It's about not leaving a pile of pocket change behind for your heirs.

I've been through this a number of times for the benefit of the others, but you probably didn't see it, thus your post:

I have been in coins for decades now. Time and time again, I have seen cases where some middle aged guy would bring his dead father's collection in to a coin shop to sell it, just to find out that 99% of it was all simple spendable pocket change. The deceased never bothered to get enough to an education in numismatics to save what was worthwhile, and just kept stuff because it was 'neat'. He probably passed over thousands of valuable coins in the process of saving his pocket change, but because he never bothered reading, asking questions, or learning about what he was trying to do, he left his middle age son with just about enough money for a tank of gas. I vowed a number of years ago to do my best to see that this sort of thing didn't happen again where I could be involved. I wanted people to know what to collect so they would leave their kids or grandkids with a nice nest egg, not a tank of gas. So what I do is try to educate people on how to collect coins with value and avoid the junk. Not every 'neat' thing is worth collecting, no matter what you might think. It takes knowledge, time, and experience to know what's worth collecting, and what's not. I'm here to help that process take a little less time and a little less patience on your part.

To all or anyone:

So...if any of you want to collect junk and pass pocket change to your heirs, don't listen to me...it's that simple. If you want to know how to build from little of nothing into a nice collection worth thousands, then follow the advice that those who are experienced here give.

Over a period of 30 years I have built a collection of coins with a total of less than $5,000 invested that has a total value of over $200,000...all through education, diligent searching, trading, selling, and rebuying. Anyone can do this, but nobody who insists on collecting die cracks and damaged coins will achieve a similar goal.

Okay, so for some reading this it's not about money and all you want to do is collect a pile of junk because you haven't seen similar junk before. Fine. Simply skip over my advice and the advice of others, and collect what you want. Don't bother with books, don't bother with message boards, don't bother with coin clubs...none of them will help you because all of them are designed and dedicated to educating you in what's worthwhile and what's not. If you don't want to know what's worthwhile, why bother with them?

Chuck, Ziggy, 909records...guys speak up! The three of you have made some amazing finds in the past year or so, and all of you have brought junk to the table as well. Heck, there are plenty of you. I did the same thing 30 years ago and didn't have the internet and a message board to help me.

Doesn't it feel better KNOWING you have found coins that are not only interesting and different, but also scarce and valuable to others? Doesn't it feel better than having a book full of who knows what that would end up being pocket change when you're gone? Someone speak up about how using the internet and books has changed the way you collect and you're all the happier for it.

Yes, there are a very short number of "WHY" coins out there, most of which gained their fame before the majority understood the reason why they are what they are. But collecting EVERY die crack just because is not the way to go about building a collection that has value.

'Card' the curiosities, I encourage that. I wouldn't encourage you selling something like that on ebay insisting value. There's where our conversations seem to diverge. Yes, if there's demand there's value. Simple enough. But why attempt to create demand based on a lack of education (which is the most common thing going on over at ebay)? People touting die cracks and gouges as being something they are not, hyping them up JUST to get someone who knows little to part with their money for such a thing? Yeah, buyer beware...but if everyone were honest and tried to learn this wouldn't have to be the case. I know, I know...in a perfect world, and this one is far from it.

In some small way, even subconsciously, what people do when they put common worthless coins in holders is asserting there's a reason for this coin to be in a holder, and to 99% of the public that reason would be 'value'. When someone else acquires the coin and doesn't really understand why the coin went into the holder, they mark the coin for a premium and try to sell it 'because' it was in a holder, not because the coin has value. Make sense?

For me it's not laughter. I don't laugh when people don't understand and do things that don't make sense...because it ALWAYS hurts someone, and that someone is usually someone else. If you worked in a coin shop for years and saw the number of people who brought in worthless junk expecting to put the kids through college on it, you might understand better what I'm talking about.

i would just like to say that I have read probably 100 times where someone says "the only stupid question is the one not asked" however every time I make a post "coppercoins" says it junk and not worth keeping.and now says I see the occasional post where people just don`t understand.that is why we ask questions,TO LEARN.also everyone does not collect because it is worth something,i like wheat cents so I collect them even knowing there worth no more than a penny.coopercoins I do understand you are trying to teach people the differences but just because it does not fit your collection or is worthless does not mean that it is all junk.maybe to you but not everyone.i also understand by your replys to ALL my post are meaningless to you so next time you see a post by me please pass it up because I would hate to see you hurt your head by banging it on the wall to much.the very first post I made on cc was a 1958 LWC with extreme deterioration doubling and ofcourse it is junk to you but there were others who said when it is that extreme they save them and also people keep thing for future reference.