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 Replies: 8 / Views: 1,407 |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
838 Posts |
Wierd question: How low of a grade have you seen on a Zincoln? I'm talking about wear, independent of "damage", which I know is quite common on modern cents.
I suppose I could purposely downgrade a cent by keeping it in my pocket for a year, but does this ever happen in practice?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
958 Posts |
I see zincons with a great deal of where , ones from the mid late 80's then some basically in MS condition,
What I find is its ether in XF-AU-MS or beat to heck , no real inbetween.
Usually when they where down a little to Fine condition the copper cracks the coin gets zinc rot and then the downward spiral starts.
Then they look like they are just damaged goods when it was prob wear and eviromental issues that cuased them to decay
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Valued Member
United States
327 Posts |
Seriously, the lower grade Zincolns either get pulled from circulation or they simply disintegrate.
I see lots of them with the smooth edges that say "I spent some time in the clothes dryer". They would grade no better than "good"
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Not sure where you get your change but I've seen some that looked like they were in the ground for a hundred years. Someone I know works in a bar and cleans up at night. The coins he finds ont the floors really look horrible. And as to wear, I've seen that look like they too were made in the 1800's.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3592 Posts |
I had an 86 that looked like it was 80 years old in a bag the other week...seriously considered posting it and probably should have kept it.It was even the color of an old penny.
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Pillar of the Community
 Canada
838 Posts |
OK thanks for the interesting replies.
Carl (and others): Just to clarify, I obviously see plenty of terribly damaged Zincolns. I was just wondering if there are (any?) VF examples with no damage. Maineman, your coin sounds like it was a keeper in this strange sense! I could be wrong, but it might even have a tiny premium of a couple cents in the open market... better than if it were higher grade!
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
You have to wonder how far down you can wear one. The copper plating is only .0002 inches thick. Once you wear it down more than that you expose the zinc core and zinc rot would begin. I doubt you could have a cent worn much lower than XF before that happened.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7629 Posts |
The lowest grade zinc Lincoln Cent I have ever seen that was not otherwise damaged was an EF40 example. It can take a lot of use and many years to wear these coins. With the lack of use in every day commerce at this point, it is unlikely to find zinc cents with the same level of wear we see on early Lincoln wheat cents....ever. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3592 Posts |
bibd...I am kind of kicking myself now...but was also thinking that it must have been a weak strike to begin with. I also think I may have put it in one of my "odd cents" rolls so I may uncover it sometime in the future...problem being that I have a lot of those rolls.
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Replies: 8 / Views: 1,407 |
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Posted 03/08/2011 08:20 am
