A Big Easy Penny: 1946O Wheatie

[Please ignore the title: I've been informed that I made a factual error.]

I don't hold out much hope for this coin in the monetary sense, but it's an unusual variety. It's a battered 1946 wheat cent with a mintmark that looks a lot like an O:



A fun find, and proving to be educational too.

 

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I've never heard of a lincoln with an "O" mintmark. I think what you have is a deformed Denver mintmark.

 

I thought it was because Wikipedia said the New Orleans Mint was open at the time. How would a D deform into an O, or something that looks like an O?

 

"TheThe New Orleans Mint operated in New Orleans, Louisiana, as a branch mint of the United States Mint from 1838 to 1861 and from 1879 to 1909 New Orleans Mint operated in New Orleans, Louisiana, as a branch mint of the United States Mint from 1838 to 1861 and from 1879 to 1909"

The New Orleans Mint was decommissioned as a mint in 1909 so it wasn't possible for any coins later than that to come from there. As for the deformity, it's difficult to say how it happened but there is a fair amount of damage on the coin itself. Copper is a soft metal and it's fairly easy to move devices around. See some of the damage from coin rolling machines..... some of the devices are moved quite a bit.

 

Well I know for a fact that no small cents were never made in New Orleans

 

Okay, I understand now. If it couldn't have been made there, and the New Orleans Mint was in fact closed, then I've got something different. I'll edit the original post, then.

 

Now that I've edited, I'll again ask: How would a D degrade into something that looks a lot like an O? Any opinions would be appreciated, as I don't know much about the minting process in the U.S.

 

How about its a Philly mint coin,(which would not have any mintmark, and someone hit it with a center punch and made a crater of sorts. Can you post a pic of the reverse?

 

It deffinately looks like a Mint stamp of some kind to me. I don't think the whole '0' itself it PMD... I believe that it is as most say a PMD deformed 'D' for Denver...

 

just throwing out another possibility. The center of the "o" looks like it is deeper than the field around the outside. Could just be the lighting.

 

That's certainly a possibility, but the mark itself is where a mint mark should be. Here's the pic you asked for, along with one of the whole obverse. As you can see, this penny has been around the block quite a few times. Sadly, the reverse has got a few gouges.

 

Could be. I've had to take my pictures at a bit of an angle because they turn out badly straight-on. It also could be dirt, and another possibility is that someone gouged it in.

 

I'm Sending It In To PCGS

Yes, I know I'm blowing 120 bucks to do so, but I want to find out - to the best extent the service offers - what kind of error it has. That includes the possibility of post-Mint defacement.

I figure I owe myself a "necessary luxury."

Thanks again for all the answers I got here. Adding a margin of cynicism to the estimated turnaround time, I should find out in about two months.

 

I think it's a 1946 penny that got it (along with in a lot of other places...) where the mintmark should be, pushing out the metal around where it was hit to make an O shape. Waste of money sending it in IMO.

 

I hope you're joking. It will come back in a "genuine" holder for damage.

It looks to me like a Philly cent that was hit with a center punch.
Lance.

 

I see about 5 "O" "mintmarks" on the reverse too! PCGS is going to have a field day... or not.

 

Couldn't have said it better, so I'll say this.

 

actually now that I'm seeing all the same marks on the reverse it almost looks like it was on the floor in a welding shop and all the spatter and slag was hitting it

 

If you are seriously going to get it graded, let us see what it graded. (BTW, I'm pretty sure you're kidding)

 

Don't send it in. Just give me $120 and i'll tell you it is damaged!