Greetings all, I was comparing the S on this 1969 Lincoln cent with variety Vista. The two do not look the same . what's going on with this S?
I would not expect the MM on any one coin the match the MM on another random coin, same year or not. The comparison is mostly for style. There are a lot of variables that can affect what it actually looks like, as in Die Stage, Die Chips, Debris in Die, PMD... Look here for more information. http://www.lincolncentresource.com/San_Fransisco_Mintmark_Styles.html
There was more than one punch used. Then you add in the wear and tear on them and before you know it, all type of varieties exist.
18 photos? It seems CT is automatically doubling up on posted photos for some reason, or is it just me? To me, it looks like you are trying to compare a 1969 S cent to a 1999 cent. The VV photo shows the tail of a nine pointing to the S.
That is most likely a 5 as in 1952,1953,1954,1955.. http://www.varietyvista.com/25 What Are Die Varieties/San Francisco Mintmark Styles.htm
