"Regarding Your Lincoln Cent"

Dentuck

October 15, 2014

Dear Ms. _________:

I am in receipt of your recent letter inquiring about a cent in your possession.

As you know, 1976 was the Bicentennial year of the United States. In that year,
many different souvenirs and commemorative items were made by private companies
to celebrate the 200th anniversary of our nation’s birth.

What you have is an authentic Lincoln cent of 1976, created at the Denver Mint (which
explains the “D” mintmark that you mentioned). The little Liberty Bell emblem and the
outline of the U.S. map were stamped into the coin’s surface outside the Mint by a
private company.

Many such counterstamps have been made over the years. Other common types include
a cent with a cigar stamped onto the front, making it look like Abraham Lincoln is smoking;
another shows a tiny profile portrait of John F. Kennedy next to President Lincoln; others
have the outlines of individual states.

These counterstamped coins were privately created (not official products of the U.S. Mint)
and were sold as souvenirs, lucky charms, and novelties. They have no significant numismatic
(collectible) value; they are not particularly rare, and collectors don’t actively seek them out.

Your coin’s sentimental value as an interesting souvenir of the Bicentennial is greater than its
market value (the latter, maybe 25 cents if you can locate a buyer).

You can find more information on counterstamped coins in Katherine Jaeger’s Guide Book
of United States Tokens and Medals, available at your local bookstore (or online including
at Whitman.com).

Ms. _____, I thank you for your query, and for your kind words about Whitman Publishing.


Best wishes,



Dennis Tucker
Publisher, Whitman Publishing, LLC

Kudbegud

A nice reply to a non collector. A class company.

Dentuck

Thank you! I thought it might be fun and educational to post a few letters
I've written in reply to curious souls over the years. Most of the folks on this
forum will already be familiar with the topics covered, but still it's a neat
gauge of what non-collectors (or less experienced collectors) are thinking
and wondering about.

MGLICKER

Your coin’s sentimental value as an interesting souvenir of the Bicentennial is greater than its
market value (the latter, maybe 25 cents if you can locate a buyer).

Very diplomatic, Dennis.

Dentuck

It's all a matter of context and perspective, isn't it? If a dealer found a
novelty coin like that in a box of buttons and subway tokens, it wouldn't
be worth his time to staple it into a cardboard 2x2 and write the date and
mintmark on it. He would just toss it into his "Four for a dollar" box.

However! If I find that coin in my Mom's pocketbook in 20 years,
and it brings back a memory of a family vacation to see the Liberty Bell in
Philadelphia in 1976, then it would be priceless.

lasvegasteddy

very respectful reply

braddick

Sweet sentimentality, yet probably boiler plate as dozens of these letters are probably received and replied to.

AUPT

I'll bet you also have a diplomatic let-down letter for the 1840 Bank of the United States $1,000 w/ SN 8894.

I know I wished I had one that could be printed on demand when I was editing Bank Note Reporter in the 1970s-80s.

Steve

Dennis,
Your example of a reply to non collectors shows that YOU have the ability to write meaningfull responses to people without affending
their lack of knowledge about coins. This is a very good quality you have. And it is a good reason you are publisher at Whitman. Please provide other examples in the future. Thanks.
Steve