Unusual 1983 Cent

[Quin]

After hunting through a box of pennies, I use a scale to weigh out 50 zinc pennies to make rolls to turn back into the bank. A zinc penny weighs 2.5 grams. However, while I was weighing out one of my rolls, I came across a strange total weight. It wasn't enough to be a copper in the mix, but it was entriguing. So I searched through the pile and weighed a few coins that I thought might be causing the discrepancy. To my pleasure, the issue was with a 1983 coin. Could this be the fabled copper 1983 penny?? Probably not...it's mass was 2.6 grams as oppose to the standard 2.5 grams. But it was interesting nonetheless. I'm writing this on the road so I don't have pictures right now, but it is nothing out of the ordinary. It looks like a normal 1983 penny. Any ideas on what's causing it to be 0.1 extra grams?

 

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[Death&Taxes]

Maybe the blank was rolled with an improper thickness... strange. It's a shame that coin was not copper or you would be $15,000 richer.

 

[enamel7]

Coins have a variance in weight. They don't all weigh 2,5 grams.

 

[Quin]

Here's some pics of the coin. Like I said, nothing out of the ordinary upon inspection. I do think that it might have been from a mint set.

 

[enamel7]

Mint set coins ate no different than coins in circulation.

 

[port ewen ace]

the flip is worth more than the coin try again

 

[Quin]

Mint set coins ate no different than coins in circulation.

I didn't think they were, just checking. But come on...I know coin masses vary, but by that much??

 

[LooseChange]

Could be soiled. 0.09g is not much material.

Also, I would be a bit suspicious of the scale. Most hobby grade scales do not have matching accuracy and precision (just because they read to 0.01g precision does not mean that they are accurate to 0.01g). Test this by incrementally weighing grains of rice. Two grains will weigh about 0.03g if they are absolutely dry, much more if they are holding moisture.

 

[NHBandit]

You have WAY too much time on your hands..

 

[Quin]

You have WAY too much time on your hands..

Lol yeah, just got off spring break. Haven't figured out a dump bank in my hometown yet so I had to hand roll them. Wasn't too bad though, only took maybe 15 mins.

 

[Quin]

Could be soiled. 0.09g is not much material.

Also, I would be a bit suspicious of the scale. Most hobby grade scales do not have matching accuracy and precision (just because they read to 0.01g precision does not mean that they are accurate to 0.01g). Test this by incrementally weighing grains of rice. Two grains will weigh about 0.03g if they are absolutely dry, much more if they are holding moisture.

What do you mean "soiled"?

 

[LooseChange]

What do you mean "soiled"?

Just meant it could have some crud on it that might or might not be entirely visible.
Wax comes top mind as something that might not be obvious. There might be others. Obviously, that is a guess.

 

[huntsman53]

On an average, Lincoln Cents generally weigh from the norm up to near 0.15 grams high and generally weigh as much as 0.10 grams low and still be considered within tolerance. I once found a 1944-P "Pollock 2078 Variety" Lincoln Cent that weighed in at 4.11 grams. These are sometimes called "Pierfort", "Piedfort" or "Piefort" (seems to be no consensus on the true name) Cents. It was also Struck Thru a couple of times through Thread or an unknown thin wire on the Obverse and once on the Reverse. It never has been determined whether the 1944-P "Thick Planchet" Cents were struck on Experimental Planchets or Foreign Coin Planchets. Don't stop looking because such Thick Planchet Cents exist and some are worth quite a bit of money. I sold mine for $135 on eBay back in 2005.

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/1944-p-pierfort-cent-lincoln-cent-pollock-2078-variety.8058/


Frank

 

[port ewen ace]

some solid rolls of 2016-P un- circulated dimes weigh in at 113.6 grams, about 0.6 grams light for the roll---rolled toooo durned thin, and they can be a pain in the to dump ---get rejected, then they count in a few tries . just peek at a roll of cents----thickness can be thin---thinner---& thinnest