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1975-S Lincoln Cent Proof Only, have you looked at the edge?

Klif50Klif50 Posts: 696 ✭✭✭✭

In 1975 the only way to get the S mint cent was to buy and bust the 1975 proof set. This was a big deal at the time. I was working in a coin shop that year and we were selling the cents briskly at 10 to 12 dollars each.

The store manager decided we needed some help putting coins in 2x2's and he hired a couple of early teen lads to do that that work. We suddenly started to miss a lot of coins (surprise, surprise) and they were showing up in the "Cheese Shop" vending machines and penny gumball machines, and being brought back over to be sold back to us. When confronted the kids said those were their coins and we had no proof otherwise.

Manager, in his devious mind, took a roll of the proof cents and using a sharp pointed pair of stamp tongs he dug his initials in to the edge of each coin. No one ever looks at the edge of cents and so they were duly 2x2'd and put into boxes to be sold, except that the next round of silver quarters, dateless buffalo nickels and proof cents came back there was the evidence that they were stolen from the shop (we hadn't sold any of that bunch).

So, somewhere out there are 50 or so 1975-S Proof Lincoln Cents with the initials VAN scratched in to the edge. Now you know what that means.

Comments

  • coinbufcoinbuf Posts: 11,825 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Where was the shop?

    My Lincoln Registry
    My Collection of Old Holders

    Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
  • Klif50Klif50 Posts: 696 ✭✭✭✭

    Laurel, Maryland

  • Klif50Klif50 Posts: 696 ✭✭✭✭

    Actually the managers name was Rusty Van(rest redacted to protect the guilty). His CB handle was rusty van since he drove a really derelict and rusty work van for his other job as a carpenter.

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Well that would be an interesting find.... Now that there is a backstory to the marking. Cheers, RickO

  • ɹoʇɔǝlloɔɹoʇɔǝlloɔ Posts: 1,436 ✭✭✭✭✭

    oh man - would be so cool to find one of these

  • TurtleCatTurtleCat Posts: 4,628 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Interesting story... That brings up another question. Given it’s the edge would a grader at a TPG necessarily notice it given the type/year? I always wonder if they really spend much time looking at rims when it comes to certain common lower value type coins.

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