Does anyone know how a 1975 Lincoln memorial cent would have two dates stamped on it? It has 1975 stamped correctly and above it is stamped 12-31-74. Thanks. Tom 734-420-9004
I am thinking Post mint damage, I don't believe any us coinage has ever had an exact date on it besides commemoratives. at any rate the coin looks in REALLY good condition.
The date is a numismatically important one in the U.S. It marked the end of the ban on private ownership of gold after 41 years. Perhaps someone wanted to memorialize the date. Whatever the reason for the stamp, it is absolutely, positively, certainly and without any slight measure of doubt, post-mint damage.
Thanks for the info...it was confusing as to how the same font/ script size is in both date stampings.
Someone found out the Mint was making the 1975 coins in 1974 and thought they would correct that themselves.:smile New Years eve party gift? :smile
Well one can argue that it's a counterstamp rather than calling it post-Mint damage lol... but yes clearly not done by the Mint itself. I once saw a 1963 penny with a speech bubble by Lincoln saying "Four Score and..."; perhaps someone wished to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Gettysburg address. Some of these counterstamps can be quite interesting, and you could collect such things if they interest you. Unless it's done by someone well known to history it rarely adds any value in numismatic terms but "collector's value" is in the eye of the beholder... people collect whatever interests them after all.
There may be room for argument whether a governmental counterstamp changing the value of a coin, or even changing the issuer, is or is not damage, but I can't see any valid reason to call a private entity's counterstamp anything other than damage.
It's really odd, I have three of these 1975 Shiny (perhaps dipped in something) Lincoln Cents stamped 12-31-74 above the year. I have been looking around on the net and there are loads of these floating around, and tons of people asking about them. I know they were altered after leaving the mint but why? and by who? Just seems sort of odd that sooo many exist.
i have one of these with the date 12/31/74 stamped on it its gold plated commemorating ownership of gold again Thomaslong - is your penny gold plated ???
They are typically gold plated hence the connection between the counterstamped date and the repeal of the gold laws allowing private ownership again on that date. What I never understood was why they didn't counterstamp 1974 cents. It would have made more sense to me.
If you look into it there are numerous pennies (cents for those sensitive) that have all kinds of things stamped on them. Someone once said there was an entire set of such counterstamped ones in a wall mouting plaque that was being sold at one time. People constantly find the ones with Kennedy stamped on the front and accompanied by that list of simiarities.
If you look into it there are numerous pennies (cents for those sensitive) that have all kinds of things stamped on them. Someone once said there was an entire set of such counterstamped ones in a wall mouting plaque that was being sold at one time. People constantly find the ones with Kennedy stamped on the front and accompanied by that list of simiarities.
I have a gold plated one with same dates and found this article http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/39050640/
google has a better scan http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...QY0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=FSMIAAAAIBAJ&pg=3404,2539540
I I have one that's been put away since 75 and has a coa with it my grandmother got it and never looked at it again . I found it last night and going to see what its worth.
You know it's going to be very hard to get an answer considering the last post is from 2014. You'll have better luck posting a new thread with your coin I think