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 Replies: 13 / Views: 1,551 |
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New Member
United States
22 Posts |
Found this umm, let's say "interesting" '51 large cent in the 1/2 off bin today. Any idea how this happened? Someone turned the 'E' into a 'U' in cent...  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3402 Posts |
Very common it's called a "vulgar" cent due to the word "cent" was changed to. All they did was tool and work the metal around to change the "e" into a "u". They are a curiosity and create a ruined coin.
All negative no pluses.
KK
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Valued Member
United States
361 Posts |
Wow, Interesting. I had never seen nor heard of that before.
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New Member
 United States
22 Posts |
Thanks for the info! I picked it up more as a curiosity than anything, figured it would be considered damaged.
Edited by b_twill
08/20/2011 7:48 pm
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
It is considered "damaged," but a contemporary alteration which has its' own collector interest.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
At one time they were commonly enough encountered I considered seeing how large a date set I could put together. They are much less common but I have seen it don the an FE, and Indian head and even a Wheat cent. I have a MS 1835 Half Cent that has been similarly vulgerized. I also have pictures of an off-center one in a PCGS slab. (coin was supposed to be bodybagged but was slabbed by mistake.) Edited by Conder101
08/22/2011 12:50 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2757 Posts |
I've seen this same effect on ebay, and they sell for more than they should. |
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Valued Member
United States
259 Posts |
Interesting find. Thanks for posting pictures.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4778 Posts |
Damaged, but interesting nonetheless.
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Valued Member
Canada
278 Posts |
Interesting, but I am not sure why someone would take the time and effort to do it though.
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
I've had a dozen over the years. Never seen them except on large cents.
About 40 years ago, a dealer showed me one a customer returned. "I didn't even realize it."
I'd be ashamed to admit that I paid so little attention when grading.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1704 Posts |
Quote:
About 40 years ago, a dealer showed me one a customer returned. "I didn't even realize it." Apparently the guy did not look at the reverse of the coin before buying it. I female friend showed me a fine condition 1879-CC Morgan dollar she bought at a yard sale for $20.00 which had f_ck scratched into the cheek and then someone tried to hide that, unsuccessfully, by scratching over the word. She said it was trench art, I told her it was damage and the person who did it ruined the coin. At least she didn't over pay for the coin. Ed ANA LM-3175 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3499 Posts |
b_twill- Interesting coin. I actually am surprised that more of these do not turn up. Supposedly this was a very common form of vandalism on these large cents- and an unsubstantiated rumor was that because of this very alteration the word "cent" is no longer as large or centered on US cents. There are some people who collect such coins. I know also that at the Alfred Kinsey institute at Indiana University at Bloomington (a research institute for the study of human sexuality and the representation of sexuality in popular culture) there is a large collection of these large cents. Also, this institute has a collection of Flying Eagle cents in which the eagle was altered to look phallic. So US Large Cents were not the only victims of such vandalism. |
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New Member
32 Posts |
Coin would be considered damage and likely couldn't even be given back to the bank for the penny it was once worth. Hope you didn't pay much since you likely got ripped off. It is no different then someone taking a hammer to it.
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Replies: 13 / Views: 1,551 |
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Posted 08/20/2011 7:38 pm
