| Author |
 Replies: 16 / Views: 3,221 |
|
New Member
Canada
34 Posts |
Hi all, I was sorting through a bunch of pennies to get the copper ones out for gardening purposes when I noticed a very peculiar 1997 1 cent. It felt extremely heavy, as well as having a look that is more of the 12 sided ones. I measured the weight and it came back 2.5 grams instead of the 2.25 grams and I took it to a coin store to get it XRF and it came back as 98% copper, 1.8% tin, 0.2% zinc. I am fairly sure it is a business strike so I prepared paperwork to submit it to ICCS. Would it be recommeded to submit it to PCGS or NGC instead?   |
|
|
|
New Member
 Canada
34 Posts |
Also I did consider the possibility it being an impaired specimen strike but I did compare it with a 1997 Specimen penny and it does not have that finish.
|
|
Moderator
 United States
187862 Posts |
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
1618 Posts |
What's the weight of a 1997 specimen penny?
|
|
New Member
Canada
34 Posts |
Quote:
What's the weight of a 1997 specimen penny? 2.6 grams |
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
1618 Posts |
Kind of hard to tell but I dont see any bag marks indicating it is a circulation strike...
|
|
Valued Member
Canada
106 Posts |
It looks like a 1 cent from an uncirculated / PL set. Those made in Winnipeg had a finish which is very like to business strikes but with a better polishing. Note that PL sets made in Ottawa have an "almost" specimen finish. One way to differentiate is to check the rim. PL coins have a wide flat reverse rim while BS have a sloped rim. The difference is less obvious on obverse with both strikes having a slightly rounded rim. My theory is that at some point of time Winnipeg mint started using BS dies on Bronze planchets for Uncirculated sets production.
|
|
New Member
Canada
34 Posts |
I think you are right, I did not realize PL sets were made with bronze too. That makes sense
|
|
New Member
Canada
34 Posts |
welp a while ago (May 16th) I sent it for grading. Today the grades finally came out. And it turns out to be a business strike 1997 1 Cent that was struck on a 1982-1996 copper planchet error planchet. Very happy with the result  |
|
Moderator
United States
187862 Posts |
Excellent!  |
|
Bedrock of the Community
Canada
21589 Posts |
Congratulations, great result from your submission.
Now everybody will be weighing their 1997 cents.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
1618 Posts |
Very cool; thanks for the update!
|
|
Valued Member
Canada
106 Posts |
I think it is an error by PCGS. The coin is truly struck on 1983 (not 1982) - 1996 bronze planchet
But it is by design because all coins in Uncirculated sets are Bronze 2.5 gram per specification.
The actual error is that Winnipeg mint had used some Business Strike dies for those coins while the specification says
"The coin in the Uncirculated set have been finished with a three-fold combination of brilliant and frosted relief on a lined finish background".
So, it is a finish error. Or rather a deviation from production quality because this set is a common one.
Note that $1 and $2 coins in those sets are Business Strike as well.
Not only the $2 coin has a "regular" finish, but it has a narrow ring around the central core when the ring is wide on PL and SP coins. That indicates that a BS die was used.
1997 $1 in those sets is a particularly interesting one. The $1 coin was not issued for circulation, but the finish and the rim are as on BS dollars.
If such a coin was removed from a set and shown obverse only (or with the date covered), it would be difficult to recognize that it is not a true Business Strike.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
73817 Posts |
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
Canada
21589 Posts |
Maybe SPP-Ottawa could weigh in on this one if he is around.
I would like to hear his opinion on this.
|
|
Moderator
Canada
10456 Posts |
1997 is a bit of a tricky year. All 1997 PL 1-cent coins, regardless if they were made in Winnipeg or Ottawa, are struck on the bronze 2.5 gram planchets (just look on the information card in every 1997 PL set envelope). This coin does not look like a PL strike, so I do think it is a business strike, struck on a 2.5 gram bronze planchet intended for a PL set. Given how the RCM had transitioned from bronze to Cu-plated zinc in 1997, and also different planchets for business strikes versus PL strikes, it is not a true "transition strike" error. Transition strikes are rare, and highly valuable (like a 1980 1c struck on a 3.24 gram planchet). This is still a cool error coin, struck on a wrong planchet, but I would never call it a transition strike. It is a coin I would love in my collection, but I would definitely have PCGS fix that misinterpreted label. "Discovery follows discovery, each both raising and answering questions, each ending a long search, and each providing the new instruments for a new search." -- J. Robert OppenheimerContent of this post is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses...0/deed.en_USMy eBay store
|
| |
Replies: 16 / Views: 3,221 |
Posted 05/06/2025 09:24 am
