A Lonesome John

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Broadstruck
Broadstruck Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum
Triple Struck 1940's First strike in collar, Second strike in collar with rotation and overlap, Third strike out of collar with rotation off center. I'm figuring it's a 1944 or 1945 Philly as there's a few errors for these years. Ex error specialist Lonesome John Devine.



image
To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!

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  • keyman64
    keyman64 Posts: 15,650 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Cool one!
    "If it's not fun, it's not worth it." - KeyMan64
    Not really looking for much these days but if I were, it might be a toner. :smile:
  • Broadstruck
    Broadstruck Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Originally posted by: keyman64

    Cool one!




    Thanks you almost never see major Lincoln errors like this...



    However back in the 1970's you'd read about them winning awards at events like Error Rama.



    There's a lot wild mint errors from back then that just never re-entered the market.



    Just out there somewhere needing to be rediscovered.



    To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
  • DUIGUY
    DUIGUY Posts: 7,252 ✭✭✭
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    image
    “A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly."



    - Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC
  • MrEureka
    MrEureka Posts: 24,777 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Originally posted by: Broadstruck
    I'm figuring it's a 1944 or 1945 Philly as there's a few errors for these years.


    Think big. Try to match the dies to 1943. Focus on die polish lines and die cracks.

    Andy Lustig

    Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.

    Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
  • Broadstruck
    Broadstruck Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Originally posted by: MrEureka

    Originally posted by: Broadstruck

    I'm figuring it's a 1944 or 1945 Philly as there's a few errors for these years.



    image




    Think big. Try to match the dies to 1943. Focus on die polish lines and die cracks.







    Holy cow how cool would that be...



    Thanks MrEureka as I now have a new research project! image



    To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
  • AUandAG
    AUandAG Posts: 25,050 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    That's is one awesome cent/cent/cent



    bobimage
    Registry: CC lowballs (boblindstrom), bobinvegas1989@yahoo.com
  • TopographicOceans
    TopographicOceans Posts: 6,535 ✭✭✭✭
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    image
  • MFH
    MFH Posts: 11,720 ✭✭✭✭
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    That's a great looking error - and for your sake - I hope Andy led you to a great find !
    Mike Hayes
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Coin collecting is not a hobby, it's an obsession !

    New Barber Purchases
  • gonzer
    gonzer Posts: 3,091 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of quality time with John and his wife Peg at their home and at John's shop in Newbury Park in the early 70's. At his shop, which was in an industrial complex (!), he would have coins like these scattered all over his desk amidst off-metals, double-dies, old Kleenex and photos, tons of photos. He was NOT the neatest shop owner around but he knew where everything was. He was way ahead of his time when it came to tutoring YN's and really had a true passion for the hobby. I would love to see some of his old catalogues if any are still out there.
  • ricko
    ricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Cool error cent Broadstruck... hope you can attribute the year...Cheers, RickO
  • lasvegasteddy
    lasvegasteddy Posts: 10,492 ✭✭✭
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    broadstruck posting a lincoln

    who'd of thunk



    crazy cool piece there
    everything in life is but merely on loan to us by our appreciation....lose your appreciation and see


  • WildIdea
    WildIdea Posts: 1,881 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Looks like ErrorsOnCoins avatar
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    This content has been removed.
  • johnny9434
    johnny9434 Posts: 34,049 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    way cool.
  • duck620
    duck620 Posts: 1,097 ✭✭✭✭
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    "WOW"! I LIKE THOSE COINS.
  • Walkerfan
    Walkerfan Posts: 10,391 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Very cool and unusual!

    Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍

    My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):

    https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/

  • Broadstruck
    Broadstruck Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Thanks everyone! :)

    To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
  • MilkmanDan
    MilkmanDan Posts: 3,768 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    So did you figure out the date?

  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    This content has been removed.
  • CaptHenway
    CaptHenway Posts: 34,164 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Only met his a few times, but always a nice guy.

    Professional Numismatist, Retired. 55 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner of the PNG's 2026 Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
  • MWallace
    MWallace Posts: 4,682 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I met him in person only once, but talked with him on the phone many times. John was one of the good ones.

  • EXOJUNKIE
    EXOJUNKIE Posts: 1,639 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I have some errors pedigreed to Lonesome John, still with their "Lonesome John" flip inserts -- most of them came via Fred! :)

    I'm addicted to exonumia ... it is numismatic crack!

    ANA LM

    USAF Retired — 34 years of active military service! 🇺🇸
  • EXOJUNKIE
    EXOJUNKIE Posts: 1,639 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    By the way....

    Good to see you @Broadstruck! :p

    I'm addicted to exonumia ... it is numismatic crack!

    ANA LM

    USAF Retired — 34 years of active military service! 🇺🇸
  • BLUEJAYWAY
    BLUEJAYWAY Posts: 11,794 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @EXOJUNKIE said:
    I have some errors pedigreed to Lonesome John, still with their "Lonesome John" flip inserts -- most of them came via Fred! :)

    This reminds me. Somewhere packed away I may have 1 or 2 errors denoted with the LJ pedigree. Both from an auction IIRC.

    Successful transactions:Tookybandit. "Everyone is equal, some are more equal than others".
  • giantsfan20
    giantsfan20 Posts: 1,750 ✭✭✭✭
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    He also made a clear see through plastic that you placed over the coin with lines showing different percentages to measure off center and clipped coins.

  • thebeav
    thebeav Posts: 4,115 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I remember his advertising. Being fairly young in the 70's, errors really appealed to me. I had never met John however.

    My Ebay Coin Store
  • Broadstruck
    Broadstruck Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I have quite a few of John's books and catalogs in storage which I'll try to dig out this winter.

    To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
  • gonzer
    gonzer Posts: 3,091 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    John used to use a special proprietary solution to instantly clean coins. Unremarkable back when he'd do it in front of you but in this day and age I often wonder what it was. Copper was the usual subject. Sometimes a bizarre coloring effect was the result months after the cleaning.

  • ricko
    ricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @Broadstruck .... Did you ever determine a date for the OP coin?? Cheers, RickO

  • Broadstruck
    Broadstruck Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    No I haven't gotten to it yet as it's on a long list of things to do.... I've owned this piece for 15 years, so what's another or two?

    To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
  • BLUEJAYWAY
    BLUEJAYWAY Posts: 11,794 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @thebeav said:
    I remember his advertising. Being fairly young in the 70's, errors really appealed to me. I had never met John however.

    I do as well, his advertising. Especially in ETCM (Error Trends Coin Magazine, a monthly mag. devoted to errors by Arnold Margolis).

    Successful transactions:Tookybandit. "Everyone is equal, some are more equal than others".
  • coinsharethenews
    coinsharethenews Posts: 25 ✭✭
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    https://minterrornews.com/features-5-24-26-a-collection-of-error-coins-from-lonesome-john.html

  • MsMorrisine
    MsMorrisine Posts: 40,040 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • seanq
    seanq Posts: 8,834 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 1, 2026 2:01PM
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    @Broadstruck said:
    Originally posted by: keyman64

    Cool one!

    Thanks you almost never see major Lincoln errors like this...

    However back in the 1970's you'd read about them winning awards at events like Error Rama.

    There's a lot wild mint errors from back then that just never re-entered the market.
    Just out there somewhere needing to be rediscovered.

    Emphasis added, as the new member who is bumping these threads appears to have come across just such a cache of Lonesome John coins (and started a new thread about them).

    On a completely unrelated note, I still miss Broadstruck, he was taken from us far too soon.

    Sean Reynolds

    Incomplete planchets wanted, especially Lincoln Cents & type coins.

    "Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
  • Byers
    Byers Posts: 1,971 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 1, 2026 2:10PM
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    Lonesome John printed my first mint error catalog in 1975. I did a ton of business with him. He was a pioneer in the error coin market. It featured my gold Indian Head Cent and $20 Liberty on a Large Cent blank!

    https://mikebyers.com/1975catalog.html


    mikebyers.com Dealer in Major Mint Errors, Die Trials & Patterns - Author of NLG Best World Coin Book World's Greatest Mint Errors - Publisher & Editor of minterrornews.com.
  • coinsharethenews
    coinsharethenews Posts: 25 ✭✭
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    That is the ultimate dream for any collector—stumbling onto a forgotten cache of old-school mint errors. The fact that a new member might have actually uncovered a stash of Lonesome John coins is incredible. Those old threads are absolute goldmines of information, and it is always exciting when a "bump" actually brings something substantial to light instead of just necroposting.On your second note—absolutely. Broadstruck was a pillar of this community. His knowledge of error coins was unmatched, but it was his willingness to help both newbies and veterans that truly made him special. The forum definitely hasn't been quite the same without him.Thanks for the reminder of both the history we are chasing and the great people who helped us learn how to chase it. Might be a new member on here but whos is to say I did not have a previous account? Cheers

  • jmlanzaf
    jmlanzaf Posts: 43,044 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @coinsharethenews said:
    That is the ultimate dream for any collector—stumbling onto a forgotten cache of old-school mint errors. The fact that a new member might have actually uncovered a stash of Lonesome John coins is incredible. Those old threads are absolute goldmines of information, and it is always exciting when a "bump" actually brings something substantial to light instead of just necroposting.On your second note—absolutely. Broadstruck was a pillar of this community. His knowledge of error coins was unmatched, but it was his willingness to help both newbies and veterans that truly made him special. The forum definitely hasn't been quite the same without him.Thanks for the reminder of both the history we are chasing and the great people who helped us learn how to chase it. Might be a new member on here but whos is to say I did not have a previous account? Cheers

    You're entering spam territory.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • Byers
    Byers Posts: 1,971 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @coinsharethenews said:
    https://minterrornews.com/features-5-24-26-a-collection-of-error-coins-from-lonesome-john.html

    mikebyers.com Dealer in Major Mint Errors, Die Trials & Patterns - Author of NLG Best World Coin Book World's Greatest Mint Errors - Publisher & Editor of minterrornews.com.
  • MsMorrisine
    MsMorrisine Posts: 40,040 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @coinsharethenews said:
    That is the ultimate dream for any collector—stumbling onto a forgotten cache of old-school mint errors. The fact that a new member might have actually uncovered a stash of Lonesome John coins is incredible. Those old threads are absolute goldmines of information, and it is always exciting when a "bump" actually brings something substantial to light instead of just necroposting.On your second note—absolutely. Broadstruck was a pillar of this community. His knowledge of error coins was unmatched, but it was his willingness to help both newbies and veterans that truly made him special. The forum definitely hasn't been quite the same without him.Thanks for the reminder of both the history we are chasing and the great people who helped us learn how to chase it. Might be a new member on here but whos is to say I did not have a previous account? Cheers

    who were you before today?

    Current maintainer of Stone's Master List of Favorite Websites // My BST transactions
  • jmlanzaf
    jmlanzaf Posts: 43,044 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @MsMorrisine said:

    @coinsharethenews said:
    That is the ultimate dream for any collector—stumbling onto a forgotten cache of old-school mint errors. The fact that a new member might have actually uncovered a stash of Lonesome John coins is incredible. Those old threads are absolute goldmines of information, and it is always exciting when a "bump" actually brings something substantial to light instead of just necroposting.On your second note—absolutely. Broadstruck was a pillar of this community. His knowledge of error coins was unmatched, but it was his willingness to help both newbies and veterans that truly made him special. The forum definitely hasn't been quite the same without him.Thanks for the reminder of both the history we are chasing and the great people who helped us learn how to chase it. Might be a new member on here but whos is to say I did not have a previous account? Cheers

    who were you before today?

    A younger version of me. Who were you?

    😄

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • Old_Collector
    Old_Collector Posts: 1,210 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I generally don't like old necros, but this is an exception -- amazing history and rare error pieces. :)

  • Byers
    Byers Posts: 1,971 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Lonesome John has 3 live active threads right now on the first page. That’s not easy to do.😉

    mikebyers.com Dealer in Major Mint Errors, Die Trials & Patterns - Author of NLG Best World Coin Book World's Greatest Mint Errors - Publisher & Editor of minterrornews.com.
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