1976 Lincoln Planchet error question.....

Manorcourtman

I found a 1976 Lincoln in a roll that is obviously thinner and lighter than a normal one. It is a copper planchet and is the same diameter as a regular penny. What type of error would you consider this? I sent it to ANACS just for grins and a education on this type of coin. It is so thin that when dropped it almost has a silver "twang" sound to it. Are super thin planchets an error or a variety, and are they common, so to speak. One more thing...how does this happen??

Thanks, M

seanq

An image would help diagnose this, but among the more common reasons for underweight planchets are:

1) rolled thin planchet - more than likely this is what you found. Rolled-thin coins will have normal a diameter but be underweight. Sometimes this occurs when blanks are punched from the wrong material (the most popular example is the 1970-D quarter on dime stock). Perhaps the copper stock was rolled to dime thickness?

2) split before strike - occurs when the planchet breaks in two pieces, typical examples will hve very weak strikes and one side will show striations from the material failure.

3) acid-dipped - more common on older cents, this form of post-mint damage will typically have a smaller than normal diameter and very washed-out features.

4) struck on foreign or wrong planchet - the U.S. Mint produced coinage for other countries for many decades, it is theoretically possible your coin was struck on a copper blank intended for another country's coinage. There is a book listing the material, diameter and weight of foreign coins struck at U.S. Mints, you would have to try and match up your coin to a known listing.


Please let us know what ANACS thought of your coin when it returns.


Sean Reynolds

nwcs

Did the strike look right on both sides?

JRocco

More specifically, was the strike very weak. And if so, where were the weakest areas (obverse and reverse)?

Conder101

Most things like this are the result of acid soaked coins. One important thing to check is whether the design is present all the way to the rim. On an acid soaked coin the design such as the inscriptions will be clearly visible, even if a little fuzzy, all the way out to the rims. Even if the coin is VERY thin. On a coin struck on a thin planchet the center design will be present but not so around the edge of the coin where there just wasn't enough material to strike up. It will look like a die set-up piece, some central design and nothing around the rim.

Manorcourtman

Thanks guys-

It was well struck on both sides. No problems with the design appearing to the rim on both sides. But it may have been struck through on the obverse because in the center near Lincoln's vest it is not clear and well defined. I will post a pic and the results from ANACS next week when I get it back. It was from a OBW roll so it was mint state.

Thanks!! M.

coppercoins

I had a chance to visit with this coin personally...it is a genuine error. Both the obverse and reverse have sharp details, but they also have large areas of weakness due to the lack of thickness int he planchet. My guess is that the coin was struck on a thin planchet. It's definitely not a faked coin, and it's definitely not split after strike. There's some chance it could be a split before strike, but that would normally show as roughness in the weak spots in the strike, and this coin has none, which led me to believe it's struck on a thin planchet. In addition, it does make a different noise than normal cents of that date.

ANACS will grade and slab the coin as an error. You can also have them put the weight of the coin on the slab, which is one of the important determinants that it is odd. I don't have a scale to weigh it, but I would guess its weight at under 2.5 grams. It is enough to actually feel the weight difference. Go ahead and send it in - I'm really curious on this one. It's a higher grade example, I was impressed at the luster and lack of marks on it. I'd guess it would come back at least 65RD.

JRocco

After hearing what C.D. just said I would really like to see that coin. Please post a pic when you get the coin back.

Manorcourtman

CD-

Thanks for your input. After you sent it back to me I had about 100 questions about it but hated to bother you with "newbie" error questions! You describe it perfectly as always. I sent it 5 day submission to ANACS so I hope to have it back by late next week. It is beyond my limited experience. I wrote them a note to please attribute it and described to them the obvious points. I hope they figure it out. Thanks again....Chris