Best Of

@mr1931S said:

@CaptHenway said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@TomB said:
How was the weight the first thing that stuck out to you about this cent? It's about a third of a gram heavier than expected, so you couldn't possibly have felt that in-hand, and it is also too light to be a typical bronze cent planchet.

Might it simply have a copper plating that is too thick?

We have another thread on a similar coin with exactly the same weight that just sold for $11,000

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1120640/2017p-lincoln-cent-amazing-find#latest

As I said in the other thread: THIS COIN NEEDS A SPECIFIC GRAVITY TEST!

If you take a normal copper-plated zinc cent and give it a heavy copper plating you can increase the weight, and give it a copper shell that ordinary metal testers might not be able to penetrate, giving the appearance of a primarily copper coin. A specific gravity test would reveal the significantly less dense zinc core.

I am not saying that this is a heavily copper-plated zinc cent. I am saying that it is unresolved until all available testing is finished.

TD

Specific gravity test is not normally done at TPGs on coins such as the OP's, right? 2.87grams puts it's weight above an ordinary Zincoln but well below 3.1 grams for a bronze penny. Hard to believe someone would pay $11K for 2.87g 1983 penny. 2.87 gram penny is going to have a zinc core is the most likely situation is the way I'm seeing it.

As Senior Authenticator for the ANA in the early 80's, I did a Specific Gravity test whenever it was relevant to the proper attribution of the piece in question, as certainly was the case with this coin. For example, in my time there we handled two 1943 Bronze cents. We could probably have done them just on weight and visual observation alone, but the specific gravity deserved to be in the record.

I think he might believe that there is something wrong with the edge lettering?

There is a huge variation in the depth and therefore width of edge lettering on dollar coins. It's not an error to find that.

The potential errors on edge lettering are: missing lettering, partial lettering where the machine skipped, and coins that went through the process twice, in which case the two sets of lettering would be very noticeable.

None of those require a microscope to see.

As i have always said, if you want to find errors, look at more coins, don't look at your coins more closely.

Tab toning

Just turned 4 and about to be 7.

Can't even interest them in State Quarters!

Gave them some sample slabs and they gave them back.

OP, If you found the coins to be interesting, I'm happy for you.

Keep engaged with the hobby if you enjoy it.

Sometimes it's a good way to escape the rigors & stressors of everyday life.

It is not worth more than $1, unfortunately.
So probably not worth the effort of trying to sell it.
You can look it up in this price guide - it is a 1983-S proof, grade is possibly AU-55.
So it is worth less than a 1983-S RD Deep Cameo MS-60, which is shown as $1.50 .
https://www.numismedia.com/rarecoinprices/cgi/usrarecoinvalues.cgi?script=lnccntpr&searchtype=any&searchtext=fmv&search5b=any&proof=b

Dealer here paying $300 a pop for sealed, unopened boxes of 3 or more. Was buying singles at $300, but now just 3 or more.

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1121200/buying-2026-congratulations-set-300#latest

I'd buy a couple more if USMINT makes the last 19k Phillys of 60k announced available.

Such a vast array of thought-provoking choices this year and I got so far is a 2026 P ASE Proof & a $100 bag of 2026 D Saq Bucks.

$335 out the door.

A report on the CCAC consideration of this and other designs:

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1108360/big-citizens-coinage-advisory-committee-meeting-recap-october-2024#latest> @jmlanzaf said:

@CaptHenway said:

@IAK said:

@CaptHenway said:
Last night my daughter's significant other saw an article online about the fact that the Eagle on the 2026 Dime reverse has Arrows in one claw but doesn't have an Olive Branch in the other, contrary to the tradition of Eagles on U.S. coins carrying either both or neither. He asked me why this was.
I remember seeing a discussion here about the question, but cannot find it using the Search function. Can anybody give me a link to it, or just give me a general explanation for why this is?
Thanks.

"The U.S. Mint removed the olive branch from the 2026 dime to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States, replacing the standard design with a temporary, Revolutionary War-themed design showing an eagle with only arrows. The design focuses on the theme of "Liberty over Tyranny" and the fight for independence, with the standard Roosevelt design set to return in 2027."

Signed, AI

Thank you very much.

Does anybody know what "Revolutionary War era" design with only the arrows they are referring to?

It doesn't say "Revolutionary War era" design, it says "Revolutionary War-THEMED" design.

OK, thanks.
Does that mean that they just recently made it up?