1922 cent with identity issues.
I dwelled on this issue for many years. The value placed on this "variety" is extremely steep. Had it not been for an open hole in the Dansco I would not have even been in the market to buy one. The value of a nice AU coin in a problem free holder is way out of line for a variety coin in my opinion. I mean a nice straight cent is not that expensive however here we are talking about a cent that was born a Denver but Identifies as a Philly. For that reason people apparently value it much more than a normal cent.
These are picks from my point and shoot camera, nothing fancy. The paper background is white copy paper and you can see a blue hue really affects the first photo. I included the blueish photo because it did show better detail in some areas. I'm looking for your honest opinion on grade and condition. What say you.
Comments
AU details, cleaned, strong reverse, nice coin.. i like 22's a lot
I agree with AU details....Cheers, RickO
When I was a kid, I could not figure out why it was called a "22 plain". We used to call all Philadelphia mints as "plain".
I like them both. Well worth slabbing. Slabbing these will definitely increase their value quite a bit.
Looks AU/XF details cleaned. I would say a 1922 no D, but I have no personal experience with the 1922 n D (only what I read) so I cannot be sure. I do agree with everyone and say that getting it graded would increase its value and ability to resell it. Let us know what it grades if you do send it in.
I don't think that obverse is AU
Grading Lincolns from the '20s is an adventure. They all too often look like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1926-S-Lincoln-Cent-Semi-Key-Coin-VF-Weak-Reverse-26SX6-/233133909521
You cannot grade these by the obverse, the die was in such a state of overpolished disrepair that details are missing even in uncirculated grades. From the reverse I agree with others who call this coin AU, I even think it might straight grade as the color doesn't bother me much.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
I'm not judging it so much by the lack of details, although they are pretty smooth, but it also doesn't appear to have any luster. It's an XF details to me. Not that it matters.
Always grade the 1922 "plain" by the reverse. Wheat stalks are sharp, AU 50-53 by my eyes
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Nice coin. 53
Thanks for the opinions, you are all right on the mark. I like the detail as low AU. The surfaces have been messed with which is apparent. It should have a bit more luster given the reverse detail. There is a spot on the obverse near the rim below the first 2 in the date. When angled in the light there are recent copper colored marks around it where someone messed with it. The cent looked a little nicer in the holder, I noticed more of the cleaned look after I cracked it out. Not hairlined cleaned but its just off. PCGS had it holdered as XF details, "spot removed". I'm hoping it will gain some skin over time. It is currently sitting in the Dansco having filled the last hole. I decided to go with a slight problem coin over a high dollar straight graded coin for the job. I spent a few years watching for one I could live with, the only real compromise I made for a complete quality AU/MS album.
In this case... I unslabbed it. Finally finished out the album.
I think it is a "solid" XF details...if that's a thing. LOL.
There is a lot of meat on it. Eventually, it will darken and (hopefully) look even better.
That is a good "problem coin".
This is the one time I would try to get it graded in an NGC slab if PCGS does not.
I would go for AU-50.
I agree that the rev makes the cent AU. Nice! Peace Roy
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I believe its one coin not two. I also thought that but if you look close they are the same coin
Correct, it's one coin. The two different obverse images were to show differing looks.
It now sits in it's new home, hopefully for many more years to come. It does stand out amongst the others more than I had hoped because it lacks that depth of detail and luster. Not too bad though, I will live with it. All the holes are finally filled.
It really is a nice coin! The obverse is way better than almost (I said almost) all the others.
That's a lot of residual luster, it is an AU coin in my book. XF details grade.
The coin always fascinated me. Funny thing is that it wouldn't even be noticed if they coined Cents at Philly in 1922.
Pete
Makes me wonder how many other dates this happened too. We will never know unless someone can figure out the dies. Is my 1949 Lincoln cent really a 1949-P or a 1949-S without the mintmark?
It looks right at home in that album - congrats on finishing the set.
Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
My example, by way of comparison: 1922 No D Strong reverse PCGS #3285. Note the second 2 of "1922" is stronger than the first. Also, the left sided legends are quite mushy, especially LI of "Liberty" and IN GOD. These are scarce in mint state.
Your cent has that nice brown luster in the fields that I like. I have been looking at nice problem free AU examples for years now and they have climbed in price quite a bit. I had wanted a nice solid AU55 to match the set but I decided to settle on a lesser example with good detail that I could live with. True Unc. examples go for very strong prices.
The PCGS pop in MS63 BN is 12, with 5 finer. I picked this one up from a Great Collections auction about a year ago. An MS64BN example sold at the same venue, a couple of months later, for over $38k.
I had been looking for an AU example, but the dealers wanted upwards of $10k for nice ones so I got this MS63 instead.