1970 S Small Date Cent

Fee316

Ok so I've had this for a while but I don't even get excited anymore because I've been told that other findings are not what I thought nor valuable so i guess I'm learning. Right? Any who I've studied penny for some time and am poaitive it's a small date but if it is I know it's probably not valuable or my cent is only worth face value so I've prepared myself this time. The 7 is even with 1,9,0. The 9 loops back to the 7. The TY is more faint. Some pics have flashlight on and some don't. Some are with cent standing up abd some laying flat.

ECHOES

Still fun when you find one.

Fee316

Do you think it's a small date?

kaz

It looks to me that the top of the 0 is higher than the top of the 7, which would make yours a large date, I think.

cmerlo1

It's not a small date. By far, the easiest way to determine small vs large is to look at 'LIBERTY' and the inner point of the 9, not the height of the 7. You will make yourself crazy if all you look at is the 7.

'LIBERTY' on the small date should be VERY weak, almost fading into the field. Compare the inner points of the 9 (the arrows in the pic below START at the inner point)- the small date's is pointed and the large date's is squared-off. The 9 on your coin is squared off, so it's a large date.

If they were easy to find, they wouldn't be so rare and valuable (and fun to look for), so keep looking!

DRUNNER

I concur . . . a large date. Not wanting to be negative at all . . . and I hope your searching turns up one of them!

Don't think you are alone . . . I marketed a large date as a small at several coin shows until another dealer got ahold of me and told me to rein it in . . . . . . now I know.

Drunner

Cameonut

Don't feel bad. I once had an ICG slab with a small date in it. BUT ICG made a mistake, couldn't find one to replace it with, and refunded my purchase price.

Fee316

Yes but I tried to take pics level. The 9 points back at 7 not at S. If you drew a straight line from end of 9 point it wouldn't line up with S. Also When flashlight Is On it will make everything on coin more defined. The TY are more faint when looking in person. Third when you're taking pic from above and of you're not exactly over penny it will appear that 9 is more rounded but it's very much like small date 9 in person. I am gonna try to find my large date 1970s see if I can get comparison pics. Thanks y'all. I do really appreciate you guys being so patient with me and informative.

ldhair

@cmerlo1 said:
It's not a small date. By far, the easiest way to determine small vs large is to look at 'LIBERTY' and the inner point of the 9, not the height of the 7. You will make yourself crazy if all you look at is the 7.

'LIBERTY' on the small date should be VERY weak, almost fading into the field. Compare the inner points of the 9 (the arrows in the pic below START at the inner point)- the small date's is pointed and the large date's is squared-off. The 9 on your coin is squared off, so it's a large date.

If they were easy to find, they wouldn't be so rare and valuable (and fun to look for), so keep looking!

Nice images. They show the difference really well.

kaz

great images and description, cmerlo1.

CaptHenway

@ECHOES said:
Still fun when you find one.

This. Yours is the Large Date.

Fee316

Fee316

Here it is NOT magnified first but taken from actual camera then blown up. I put it in black and white to show point of nine. The TY can still be somewhat defined like the example I posted but the TY is less defined than the other letters on mine as well. It says on this article the easiest way is the point of nine. I don't know i just feel pics that adjust magnifications can easily distort a cent especially when two dates are so similar.

dbldie55

I still have the rolls of 1970-S cents I pulled out of circulation. Never have found a small date.

Testoon2

I've wondered about these. Why were the small dates only struck at San Francisco? Were new hubs made and they didn't want to waste these dies so they shipped them off to SF?

Just curious,
Bill

ricko

@Fee316... Your photography is getting quite good.... and I see you are researching as well.... Keep at it...The thrill of finding these special coins in the wild is a lot of fun. Cheers, RickO

Bigbuck1975

My buddy told me he has a roll of small date. I'll grab some pictures.

Bigbuck1975

1Mike1

@Fee316 said:
Here it is NOT magnified first but taken from actual camera then blown up. I put it in black and white to show point of nine. The TY can still be somewhat defined like the example I posted but the TY is less defined than the other letters on mine as well. It says on this article the easiest way is the point of nine. I don't know i just feel pics that adjust magnifications can easily distort a cent especially when two dates are so similar.

Yea its a large date. Keep trying, eventually you will find a scarce piece.

ModCrewman

@Bigbuck1975 said:

I'm pretty sure this one is a small date.

koynekwest

You are correct-small date.

seanq

A couple of weeks ago I randomly came across this one unattributed on the 'Bay and picked it up, I hesitate to call it a cherrypick since I paid about 50% of retail for it.

Sean Reynolds