Odd Overstruck Lincoln Cent - UPDATE - Satellite Identified
Hoping someone can tell me what this is. I picked it up at the Austin Airport show earlier today because it looked interesting. The obverse shows a date of 1980, but appears to be struck thru or struck over with a flag design. The reverse shows what I'm assuming is a satellite and the earth, moon, and sun with the words 'THE SECOND STEP' and 'GLOBE'. Google didn't help unfortunately... thanks in advance!


Comments
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Very odd but kinda cool.
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Interesting
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.1 -
Looks something the Soyuz. Russian counterfeit?!?! 😂

Disclaimer: I'm not a dealer, trader, grader, investor or professional numismatist. I'm just a hobbyist. (To protect me but mostly you! 🤣 )
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PMD
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At first I thought it was the Apollo-Soyuz mission (1975) but the illustration seems a little off.
Maybe an artists rendition of the later International Space Station?
Not sure if that ghosted detail on the obverse is intentional or a relic left on the anvil surface.
I suspect it was made by an outfit that operated in the late 1970s into the 1980s. I have a USS New Jersey cent I'm a very similar style, and they made a few other designs.
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Interesting how the date isn't distorted.
Neat coin.1 -
@BustHalfBrian said:
PMD
I don't think so. There is a design struck onto the coin.
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.2 -
Definitely someone intentionally overstruck a design on a cent... I would say the obverse looks like a transfer from what may have been beneath it when striking... Cheers, RickO
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That's an amazing find. I love it!
I did some quick Internet searches and couldn't find anything on it.
I agree that it was overstruck on Lincolns' bust survived somehow.
It's a very interesting piece an appears to be a mystery worth trying to solve!
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An elongated cent souvenir that didn't quite get pressed correctly?
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@Zoins said:
That's an amazing find. I love it!I did some quick Internet searches and couldn't find anything on it.
I agree that it was overstruck on Lincolns' bust survived somehow.
It's a very interesting piece an appears to be a mystery worth trying to solve!
That's what's strange to me. The reverse is fairly high relief, which would've required a lot of pressure. You'd think much of the original obverse design would be a lot more flattened and distorted than it is, with the other design being more prominent.
Like @braddick said, the date is not distorted and is clear and sharp. This also seems odd because it's opposite a flat area on the reverse. This is definitely a puzzle!
You Suck! Awarded 6/2008- 1901-O Micro O Morgan, 8/2008- 1878 VAM-123 Morgan, 9/2022 1888-O VAM-1B3 H8 Morgan | Senior Regional Representative- ANACS Coin Grading. Posted opinions on coins are my own, and are not an official ANACS opinion.0 -
Elongatis interruptus! Per goodmoney4badmoney.
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@cmerlo1 said:
Hoping someone can tell me what this is. I picked it up at the Austin Airport show earlier today because it looked interesting. The obverse shows a date of 1980, but appears to be struck thru or struck over with a flag design. The reverse shows what I'm assuming is a satellite and the earth, moon, and sun with the words 'THE SECOND STEP' and 'GLOBE'. Google didn't help unfortunately... thanks in advance!.
this thread made it into google images already.
i typed this - the second step globe satellite
and found this already:

<--- look what's behind the mask! - cool link 1/NO ~ 2/NNP ~ 3/NNC ~ 4/CF ~ 5/PG ~ 6/Cert ~ 7/NGC 7a/NGC pop~ 8/NGCF ~ 9/HA archives ~ 10/PM ~ 11/NM ~ 12/ANACS cert ~ 13/ANACS pop - report fakes 1/ACEF ~ report fakes/thefts 1/NCIS - Numi-Classes SS ~ Bass ~ Transcribed Docs NNP - clashed coins - error training - V V mm styles -1 -
i don't know how comprehensive this image is but it has a lot of different satellites to compare. (man made)

<--- look what's behind the mask! - cool link 1/NO ~ 2/NNP ~ 3/NNC ~ 4/CF ~ 5/PG ~ 6/Cert ~ 7/NGC 7a/NGC pop~ 8/NGCF ~ 9/HA archives ~ 10/PM ~ 11/NM ~ 12/ANACS cert ~ 13/ANACS pop - report fakes 1/ACEF ~ report fakes/thefts 1/NCIS - Numi-Classes SS ~ Bass ~ Transcribed Docs NNP - clashed coins - error training - V V mm styles -1 -
Bump for the weekday crowd. Hoping this won't remain a mystery!
You Suck! Awarded 6/2008- 1901-O Micro O Morgan, 8/2008- 1878 VAM-123 Morgan, 9/2022 1888-O VAM-1B3 H8 Morgan | Senior Regional Representative- ANACS Coin Grading. Posted opinions on coins are my own, and are not an official ANACS opinion.0 -
It's related to several other overstruck 1c that were done in quantity in the 1980's (possibly a bit earlier) similar to the Battleship New Jersey piece pictured below. The New Jersey cent has sold for up to $100 at auction but realistically is a $10 item full full retail. I don't recall all the others right now but I'll try to find images
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@tokenpro said:
It's related to several other overstruck 1c that were done in quantity in the 1980's (possibly a bit earlier) similar to the Battleship New Jersey piece pictured below. The New Jersey cent has sold for up to $100 at auction but realistically is a $10 item full full retail. I don't recall all the others right now but I'll try to find images
That's the one I have. Somewhere I have the original paperwork that has the maker's name on it.
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Thank you, @tokenpro ! Definitely looks like the same manufacturing process except for the obverse overstrike. Hoping @JBK can find the name of the maker.
You Suck! Awarded 6/2008- 1901-O Micro O Morgan, 8/2008- 1878 VAM-123 Morgan, 9/2022 1888-O VAM-1B3 H8 Morgan | Senior Regional Representative- ANACS Coin Grading. Posted opinions on coins are my own, and are not an official ANACS opinion.0 -
So very interesting. Congrats on a neat find, regardless of occurrence method.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain1 -
@tokenpro said:
It's related to several other overstruck 1c that were done in quantity in the 1980's (possibly a bit earlier) similar to the Battleship New Jersey piece pictured below. The New Jersey cent has sold for up to $100 at auction but realistically is a $10 item full full retail. I don't recall all the others right now but I'll try to find images
if you have this coin and it matters, there MAY be a green spot on the reverse.
<--- look what's behind the mask! - cool link 1/NO ~ 2/NNP ~ 3/NNC ~ 4/CF ~ 5/PG ~ 6/Cert ~ 7/NGC 7a/NGC pop~ 8/NGCF ~ 9/HA archives ~ 10/PM ~ 11/NM ~ 12/ANACS cert ~ 13/ANACS pop - report fakes 1/ACEF ~ report fakes/thefts 1/NCIS - Numi-Classes SS ~ Bass ~ Transcribed Docs NNP - clashed coins - error training - V V mm styles -0 -
I found the satellite! It's the Bernal Sphere, a concept for a space colony that never got off the ground (no pun intended).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernal_sphere
https://slate.com/culture/2012/12/nasas-ames-research-center-space-colony-images-from-the-1970s.html
You Suck! Awarded 6/2008- 1901-O Micro O Morgan, 8/2008- 1878 VAM-123 Morgan, 9/2022 1888-O VAM-1B3 H8 Morgan | Senior Regional Representative- ANACS Coin Grading. Posted opinions on coins are my own, and are not an official ANACS opinion.9 -
@cmerlo1 said:
I found the satellite! It's the Bernal Sphere, a concept for a space colony that never got off the ground (no pun intended)..
DANGIT. i knew that second step thing shoulda made it obvious.well don sir.

<--- look what's behind the mask! - cool link 1/NO ~ 2/NNP ~ 3/NNC ~ 4/CF ~ 5/PG ~ 6/Cert ~ 7/NGC 7a/NGC pop~ 8/NGCF ~ 9/HA archives ~ 10/PM ~ 11/NM ~ 12/ANACS cert ~ 13/ANACS pop - report fakes 1/ACEF ~ report fakes/thefts 1/NCIS - Numi-Classes SS ~ Bass ~ Transcribed Docs NNP - clashed coins - error training - V V mm styles -1 -
@LanceNewmanOCC said:
@cmerlo1 said:
I found the satellite! It's the Bernal Sphere, a concept for a space colony that never got off the ground (no pun intended)..
DANGIT. i knew that second step thing shoulda made it obvious.well don sir.

Thanks! I finally thought to Google '1970's space satellites' and found it a ways down in the results.
You Suck! Awarded 6/2008- 1901-O Micro O Morgan, 8/2008- 1878 VAM-123 Morgan, 9/2022 1888-O VAM-1B3 H8 Morgan | Senior Regional Representative- ANACS Coin Grading. Posted opinions on coins are my own, and are not an official ANACS opinion.0 -
Good thing it’s a pre 1982.
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Great work cmerlo1. So did you find who made the overstrike?
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain1 -
@jesbroken said:
Great work cmerlo1. So did you find who made the overstrike?
JimI couldn't find an example of the overstrike anywhere. Strill looking though!
You Suck! Awarded 6/2008- 1901-O Micro O Morgan, 8/2008- 1878 VAM-123 Morgan, 9/2022 1888-O VAM-1B3 H8 Morgan | Senior Regional Representative- ANACS Coin Grading. Posted opinions on coins are my own, and are not an official ANACS opinion.0 -
Just a little input on hammer and anvil strikes ( not that I’d know from personal experience 😁).
I’ve always, ah I mean, I’ve heard that a stout leather strap ( belt) can help with unwanted striking issues.
Just sayin, heard it somewhere 🙃🎶 shout shout, let it all out 🎶
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