1970-s Small vs. Large Date Lincoln how can you tell?

Tarmac

I found a site which tells you how you can tell them apart but the ones I have look all the same...small date. The 7 is perfectly level with the other numbers. But the Liberty appears neither weak or strong.

Other than the diagnostics given at the website is there another way to tell?


1970-s Small Date Large Date

cladking

You can look for the crease between the two parts of the "7" but the easiest
way for me is the bottom of the loop of the "9". If it is nearly horizontal then
it's a small date and if it points down at the mint mark it's the large date.

The height of the numerals is difficult to spot and the strenght of LIBERTY varies
too much from coin to coin. You'll miss a lot of small dates (including some of the
best gems) if you just look for a weak ERTY.

CamTron

Take a business card and place it over the date. Line the edge up with the top of the 7 so you are covering up the date. If you see the top of the 9 and the 0 poke out its a large date. Try it with the picture in the redbook.

cladking

<< <i>Take a business card and place it over the date. Line the edge up with the top of the 7 so you are covering up the date. If you see the top of the 9 and the 0 poke out its a large date. Try it with the picture in the redbook. >>



There are few people who can consistently tell them apart this way. If every coin
were struck the same from good dies it would probably work for everyone. This is
the toughest way for me and I made a lot of errors using it. Mostly the errors were
calling the large date a small date. Using the weak liberty results in calling a lot of the
small dates, large dates.

If it works for you though, then use it.

DieVarieties

I agree with Cladking. For me it's the differences in the numeral "9" that I use.

xbob

"You can look for the crease between the two parts of the "7" but the easiest
way for me is the bottom of the loop of the "9". If it is nearly horizontal then
it's a large date and if it points down at the mint mark it's the small date."

Cladking,

I think you got this backwards. I took a close look at mine and the small date appears to be the one almost horizontal on the inner end of the loop on the 9.

The large date points down toward the mintmark.

cladking

<< <i>"You can look for the crease between the two parts of the "7" but the easiest
way for me is the bottom of the loop of the "9". If it is nearly horizontal then
it's a large date and if it points down at the mint mark it's the small date."

Cladking,

I think you got this backwards. I took a close look at mine and the small date appears to be the one almost horizontal on the inner end of the loop on the 9.

The large date points down toward the mintmark. >>



D'oh. Thanks. You're right of course. I'll edit it.

21Walker

Hi tarmac, here's a link that might help..........Rick



Link a Dink

xbob

By far the easiest way to tell is to look at the print below the hole it occupies in the album.

cladking

<< <i>By far the easiest way to tell is to look at the print below the hole it occupies in the album.

>>



That's a very nice and very typical small date. Any of the methods will work for it.