No Date Wheat Penny

[DIGDIG]

I've read post on other sites where people say "it was ground off", "it was altered", "its just worn". I looked at it under 40x magnification and there is no date. Best I can tell its a grease clogged die. The penny is a little banged up but there is no marks of it being tampered with. Maybe someone that worked at a mint could better explain. Has anyone had one like this?

 

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[victhedog]

Very interesting

 

[kcm]

Looks to me like it was removed - maybe someone trying to make a penny more valuable. Has had a lot of wear and tear since then!

If you compare the location of the date on an older penny to this one, there is a slight....almost a ripple(?) area where the date should be. Still, and interesting find, to say the least!!

**************

Unbelievable!! Someone out there is trying to scam some unsuspecting buyer!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/141734112016?item=141734112016&vectorid=229466&rmvSB=true

If wheat pennies are THAT valuable, we'd ALL be rich!!

 

[DIGDIG]

Try and remove a date with no visible damage under 40x. There are 2 scratches nearby if you look close but not from anyone removing the date. I don't see someone removing a date to make it valuable unless there was a listing of value for a dateless penny.

 

[DIGDIG]

Also in not trying to fool anyone, honestly I really hate pennies. I just curious how this could happen.

 

[mxh5891]

Looks to me that somebody was bored and sanded off the date or used some other means to remove the date. Could have been done 50 years ago and the evidence has worn away long ago.

 

[huntsman53]

Check the Reverse directly opposite of the Date. If the area shows signs of smashing/compression of any details and lettering, then the Date was smashed into oblivion accidentally or intentionally.


Frank

 

[kcm]

Good point huntsman. Looks to me like the date might have been sheared off, like with a sharp chisel; "maybe" a knife. I remember as a kid, reading about all these very rare coins, including pennies. I also remember hearing about lots of scams back then - people modifying coins trying to make them look rare or special. I mean, how many folks wouldn't have wanted to find a penny in the 1970's worth $100,000 or more?? But to try and sell one with no date at all - a coin that was never minted...WOW! IT MUST BE WORTH "10" FORTUNES!!

I'm not saying that is definitely what happened. But from my looking at the enlarged image of the coin, it "looks" to my eyes as though where the date is supposed to be, that there is an unusual set of markings that would be identifiable with using something like a small chisel. As the coin has so much wear and tear, it's really impossible for us to know for certain. There ARE exact tests that can be done, but very few people happen to have such expensive equipment in their garage.

I started getting into special coins as a kid, but learning about all the scams and modifications took the fun out of it. Got to where I was losing my ability to trust strangers - or people in general. I'm at that point now and hate it. Can't imagine the wonderful life I'd have had if I'd lost that trust as a young child.

 

[DIGDIG]

The reverse looks normal. I googled "no date wheat penny" and found there were others like it and like here everyone believes it was altered. If it was a old alteration say 50 years ago and the patina now looks natural, what would be the reason? Was there value for a no date penny back then? If you click on it and zoom in you find no scratches other then the two that really are not in the date area. Could there have been a test run in 1909? I found one on EBay similar. With all the other post on different sites about a no date wheat penny someone was busy scratching all the dates off, lol. I don't believe I could do such a alteration to where it could not be detected under magnification.

 

[DIGDIG]

This one is on EBay. Very similar.

 

[smokeythecat]

Could conceivably be a grease filled die. I have found some Lincolns where part or most of the inscription or date looked like they never existed.

 

[kcm]

The reverse looks normal. I googled "no date wheat penny" and found there were others like it and like here everyone believes it was altered. If it was a old alteration say 50 years ago and the patina now looks natural, what would be the reason? Was there value for a no date penny back then? If you click on it and zoom in you find no scratches other then the two that really are not in the date area. Could there have been a test run in 1909? I found one on EBay similar. With all the other post on different sites about a no date wheat penny someone was busy scratching all the dates off, lol. I don't believe I could do such a alteration to where it could not be detected under magnification.

First of all, let me share a small bit of my life. At 8 1/2 years old I started sweeping metal shavings out of the way in my dad's shop. By 10, he could hand me a blueprint, pick out the metal and leave me to make the parts. Since that time I have worked in high-tech and close-tolerance jobs mostly dealing with metals. I may not be a coin aficionado, but I'm no beginner to metals.

Next, back in the day it was common for people to try and pull a fast one. I ran across coins that had been altered - usually by means of the mint mark being removed in order to raise the value of a coin. So is it so unreasonable to think that someone might remove the entire date thinking they could get more? I mean, what would they have to lose?? A little time and a single penny. A VERY small investment with a potentially large return -- sort of like buying a lottery ticket. Scams and scamming have been going on since the beginning of time; anything to make a fast buck, or to put food on the table. And don't forget desperation as a motivator. Greed is out there (in force!), but many people have done some really stupid things in desperation. I, for one, am no exception. However, I have never defaced currency - not even with pen or pencil.

Third, I offered my "opinion". I'm not a professional - don't even play one on TV. I'm going on personal experience, past knowledge, past history, and many years of interaction with people. Therefore, it is of my "opinion" that the date on this penny has been removed.

As for the marks, I'm not speaking of the deep grooves that you are seeing. I'm speaking of a very slight rippling effect that "I" believe was made by something similar to a sharp chisel. The area where I see the rippling (for lack of a better word) is just under the shiny crescent-ish mark - above and to the left of the deeper and more pronounced diagonal gouge. Could I be wrong? Absolutely yes! This is only "my" opinion.

As for the image posted from eBay, I can't tell anything there. There is a strong glare on the right side. There also appear to be many more small scratches on the right side, but that "might" be due to the harsh angle of the light.

 

[mxh5891]

People do all kinds of weird things to coins for no reason. Could just be a bored teen or young kid. If you think you have a treasure, take it to a coin shop and see what they say. I still think it is just an coin that was altered many years ago. I could be wrong though, only way to know for sure is to take it to some experts and get their opinions.

 

[DIGDIG]

I may have a coin guy look at it. I seen many post on other sites when I googled it about wheat cents without a date. It has me wondering if the ever just did a test penny. If it was removed it had to have been long ago.

 

[enamel7]

I may have a coin guy look at it. I seen many post on other sites when I googled it about wheat cents without a date. It has me wondering if the ever just did a test penny. If it was removed it had to have been long ago.

I can tell you right now this isn't a "test cent". The same design was used for 50 years. They didn't need to check anything. The coin is either a greaser or the date has been removed. I believe it's the latter. As for taking it to a "coin guy", please realize that most dealer only deal in rare dates and silver melt value. They don't have a clue about errors and don't think they have value. All of their values come from the grey sheet. Only way to maybe know is send it to a grading service. Better yet, send an email to Mike Diamond.

 

[l.cutler]

I agree with enamel7 on all counts. Almost certainly had the date removed, but if yo show it to someone it would have to be an expert on errors.