weird penny

[Evolution]

I am a coin collector. I have a 1982 like this one. Someone just removed the copper.left the zinc. You can tell by weight. A 1974 cent (not correctly called a penny) weighs 3.11 grams.

They didn't start using zinc in pennies until 1982 did they? A 1974 would be copper with no zinc!

[shanegalang]

I am a coin collector. I have a 1982 like this one. Someone just removed the copper.left the zinc. You can tell by weight. A 1974 cent (not correctly called a penny) weighs 3.11 grams.

They didn't start using zinc in pennies until 1982 did they? A 1974 would be copper with no zinc!

Cents up until 1982 were .950 copper and .050 tin and zinc. Good point tho.that's not allot of zinc. But there is some in there.......perhaps a planchet of aluminum or zinc got mixed in with a batch of copper planchets intended for cents. Its my understanding that our mints have/maybe still do mint coins for other countries. That said I imagine another planchet could have found its way in with cent planchets before minting.

[iwas1ncthr]

The 1974 Alm. cent is indeed a real deal as part of the official story is true, the other part missing in it's entirety is the fact that there were about 45 of these "special" cents handed out to members of congress. As of today the official stance is that of the 33 DE that is illegal to own however a good friend of mine who has been in the coin business since the early 70's tells me that 2 of these coins were exchanged in the "black market" of collectors and fetched around 25K each. My friend has owned a nice coin shop for over 30 years and is one of the most honest coin dealers I know "that's how we became friends" on that note just a quick story to show you how we became friends, I went to see how much some silver dimes & quarters were worth one time and Tom actually looked through them and found what many in the dime collecting call the gem of the coins, it was a 1942/1. He not only told me what I had he also sat down and gave me a class on how it was made and started to teach me about coins in general. He then told me what I had in silver coins as to what he would pay and then offered me $475 at the time for the coin in which I said yes to in an instant. Not only did I end up becoming good friends with him but the years of knowledge he has passed on to me is priceless. Anyway, hope this helps and I hope you enjoy the little story of how I got into numismatics.

[Mackaydon]

Here's another article on the Aluminum cent:
http://www.coinfacts.com/small_cents.../1974_cent.htm
Don....

[imafishingnutt]

I doesnt seem right for some not to be able to own a penny that they sent out to a few and didnt get back
seems to me it would be thier fault.



1974 ONE CENT
PCGS No: 2971

Mintage:
Circulation strikes: 4,232,140,523
Proofs: 0

Designer: Obverse by Victor David Brenner; reverse by Frank Gasparro

Diameter: 19 millimeters

Metal content:
Copper - 95%
Tin and Zinc - 5%

Weight: 48 grains (3.11 grams)

Edge: Plain

Mintmark: None (for Philadelphia, PA) below the date





Notes:
1,579,324 1974 One Cent pieces were struck in Aluminum, a handful going to members of Congress and staff members. The entire mintage was destroyed except for an estimated dozen examples that were never recovered from the Congressmen and their staffs.

One example resides in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution, having been turned over to the museum by Charles Holstein, staff director for the House Banking Subcommittee at the time.

In early 2001, a report surfaced that an unnamed grading service had examined a 1974 Aluminum Cent, but had not authenticated or encapsulated the coin. The coin was reportedly in the hands of the family of a deceased Capitol Hill police officer who found the piece in 1973 "on the pavement while on duty in the basement of the House Office Building" where the officer believed it had been dropped by a Congressman.

Type I Aluminum Cent blanks are known. One was donated to the National Numismatic Collection in the mid-1980's by David L. Ganz, who had been present during the Congressional hearings concerning the changes in the metal composition of the Cent. Ganz also donated a Type 1 Aluminum Cent blank to the American Numismatic Association and sold a third in a 1994 auction conducted by Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.

In 1994, a former employee at a Pennsylvania steel mill sent a previously unknown, bronze-clad steel cent to Coin World. The employee found the coin in 1974 when Mint officials brought bags of the bronze-clad steel Cents to the steel mill to be destroyed. Reportedly, one bag broke open and not all of the coins were recovered.

Both the Aluminum and Bronze-clad Steel 1974 Cents are illegal to own.

The finest Uncirculated Red-Brown examples graded by PCGS are 2 MS-64RB's.

The finest Uncirculated Red examples graded by PCGS are 41 MS-67RD's.

Sources and/or recommended reading:
Coin World, March 5, 2001, pages 1 and 85

"The PCGS Population Report, October 2003" by The Professional Coin Grading Service

[iwas1ncthr]

http://www.coinfacts.com/small_cents...l_reverse.html

Just a quick update, according to PCGS if you follow the link and look at the 1974 lincoln cent they say that it is now legal to own.

[imafishingnutt]

[quote=iwas1ncthr ]
http://www.coinfacts.com/small_cents...l_reverse.html

Just a quick update, according to PCGS if you follow the link and look at the 1974 lincoln cent they say that it is now legal to own.
[/quote
Yes I know if they didnt want people to have them they shouldnt have let them leave the mint.
if it is in fact real wich the odds are slim ill fight them tooth and nail in court or should I say the guy who has it will

[COUNTRY GIRL]

Is there a V D B on the bottom of the shoulder?

[iwas1ncthr]

Is there a V D B on the bottom of the shoulder?

In 1909 the VDB was only struck on the reverse and then it went missing until I believe 1918 when the VDB was then stamped on the lower bust of Lincoln as all the Lincolns are to this day. I have personally seen the 1969-s with true doubling of the initials but I do not have the new cherry pickers guide so I am not sure if this is a new listed variety or not. I do know that there are many Lincolns out there that don't appear to show the VDB at the bottom of Lincoln but I am pretty sure it is due to either clogged dies or worn dies.

[COUNTRY GIRL]

Is there a V D B on the bottom of the shoulder?

In 1909 the VDB was only struck on the reverse and then it went missing until I believe 1918 when the VDB was then stamped on the lower bust of Lincoln as all the Lincolns are to this day. I have personally seen the 1969-s with true doubling of the initials but I do not have the new cherry pickers guide so I am not sure if this is a new listed variety or not. I do know that there are many Lincolns out there that don't appear to show the VDB at the bottom of Lincoln but I am pretty sure it is due to either clogged dies or worn dies.

I agree 100 %! If there are only a dozen uacounted for, and it's as cool as it looks, does it have the VDB, from what I see they all should? Weight is another factor, but without a scale look deeper?

[imafishingnutt]

the coin in the photo is for reference and not the actual coin.
but i can post the actual coin if need be

[shanegalang]

the coin in the photo is for reference and not the actual coin.
but i can post the actual coin if need be

Please do post a picture of the actual coin. I would love to see it. Wish I could find something like that! Cheers! Shane

[cival war hunter 2 !]

The steel Penney's only went throw 1943 plain to 1943,s that coin is unreal.


P.S. I have a coin gust like that.

[EDDE]

Wow, this thread is really dragging on for a long time without any definite answers. Surly the owner of the coin would have had it authenticated by now.

or at least picture posted of it on a scale

[roswellborn]

http://www.coinfacts.com/small_cents...l_reverse.html

Just a quick update, according to PCGS if you follow the link and look at the 1974 lincoln cent they say that it is now legal to own.

Here's a copy-and-paste from that link - the type was so small I couldn't read it without enlarging it:

"Large quantities of Aluminum and Bronze-clad Steel 1974 Cents were produced, but most were destroyed. Both are now illegal to own. "

Bummer if you've got one.

Nan