1926-S Lincoln Cent - $8 Ebay Gamble

Omegaraptor

So you’re browsing Ebay and see this 1926-S cent for $8, no returns accepted, and this is the only picture:

Would you have taken the chance? I certainly did, given that I believed I saw luster on the obverse and the majority of 26-S cents were absolute garbage strikes. For less than the price of a Chipotle burrito, why not? Even if it turns out to be a cleaned POS I’m not losing much.

So a few days later, the coin arrives in the mail. Here’s a few pics:

Ugly? I guess so, but not many 26-S cents aren’t. Obverse, despite the carbon spots and weak strike, is lustrous and even has some original mint Red left over - a rarity on this date and mint. The reverse is unfortunately not as nice. Color looks a bit weird, and only slight amounts of muted luster are present. The wheat stalks are quite weak, but I attribute this to poor strike rather than circulation wear, given the condition of the obverse.

For eight bucks, despite some issues, I’ll call this one a solid win.

Barndog

if you need one for an album, right, why not?

Omegaraptor

@Barndog said:
if you need one for an album, right, why not?

Funny enough my current Dansco 26-S is actually a sharp strike - albeit a circulated coin, being VF-35/XF-40 or so. Wish this one didn't enter circulation, but ah well.

Unknown

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rays

According to David Bowers, the 1926-S is the scarcest, and most valuable regular issue in gem condition, in the entire Lincoln cent series, with between 0 and a couple of examples meriting an MS65Red designation. David Lange from NGC stated in his book on Lincoln cents that he had seen only one such example.

BuffaloIronTail

@rays said:
According to David Bowers, the 1926-S is the scarcest, and most valuable regular issue in gem condition, in the entire Lincoln cent series, with between 0 and a couple of examples meriting an MS65Red designation. David Lange from NGC stated in his book on Lincoln cents that he had seen only one such example.

It's true.

I sent one in to PCGS years ago with a good strike that I thought was UNC. It was dark, with hints of additionally dark, dull red showing through.

Lange said most were dull red at best, and when the coin came back in a body bag, I got upset.

It was flagged for "environmental damage".

So I sent it to ANACS, not being one to give up easily, and it came back slabbed at AU-50. I cut and ran.

I can attest to the problems 1926-S suffers from, as I suffered in my own way from them.

Pete

rays

I was happy to find this example from Pinnacle Rarities a few years back. It has nice color and a good strike.

davewesen

Is your $8 Lincoln real? Weak strike or grease filled? no hair detail, ear, letters on right side.

rays

Many (most?) 1926-S Lincoln cents are weakly struck.

Omegaraptor

@davewesen said:
Is your $8 Lincoln real? Weak strike or grease filled? no hair detail, ear, letters on right side.

This is how it left the Mint and is most likely an UNC coin. Most likely spent some time in an album or coin board with sulfur-containing cardboard, resulting in reverse tarnishing.
Many of the branch mint Lincolns from the 20s really were struck this badly.

Here's a 26-D on Ebay that graded 62RB:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/125178713790?hash=item1d253b96be:g:EGYAAOSwq85iH-6b

rays

@Omegaraptor said:

@davewesen said:
Is your $8 Lincoln real? Weak strike or grease filled? no hair detail, ear, letters on right side.

This is how it left the Mint and is most likely an UNC coin. Many of the branch mint Lincolns from the 20s really were struck this badly.

Here's a 26-D on Ebay that graded 62RB:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/125178713790?hash=item1d253b96be:g:EGYAAOSwq85iH-6b

I’d rather have a sharply struck AU than that very weakly struck coin.

nwcoast

No disrespect, but all I can think about here is the possibility of getting a great burrito!
Living in the sticks of the Pacific Northwest, I sorely and dearly miss my favorite Burrito haunts from Southern California- even though it’s been decades.
Now, I guess I’m going to go check my Lincoln Dansco album to see what my 26-s even looks like. ;-)