My first foray into error identifying. This one remains a shiny penny but the high points on Lincoln's coat are nonexistent, matching up with the "States of" on the reverse. Also shallow impression of "Trust" which matches up with the bottom edge of "CENT" on the reverse (there's a bit of rotation misalignment). Looks like some dipping on the far edges of the memorial building as well. Is my assessment correct, or is it some other type of error/damage? Will try to take other/better angles if needed. ~ APS
No, you did right because it is not an error…it is the result of a weak strike on the planchet, and in that condition has only face value…imo…Spark
Oh boy! Now you opened a can of worms. My take? An error but not considered worthy of being an added value to a coin. "A weak strike is a common error in which not enough force was used to strike the coin fully, resulting in poor details and partially or fully obscured lettering. Weak strikes differ from die-adjustment strikes in that the former are struck by aging, worn dies. These are not numismatically desirable coins and are worth less than fully struck coins." ( Have A Coin With Missing Letters Or No Mintmark? See If It's A Valuable Error Coin... And How Much It's Worth | The U.S. Coins Guide (thefuntimesguide.com))
I stand corrected. Error-ref.com has a section 6 (VI) they call “Striking Errors”, and do label weak strikes as errors. They list 2 proximate causes for weak strikes: 1. Inadequate ram pressure and 2. Insufficient die approximation (Excessive minimum die clearance). But they also state that the “Ultimate cause is virtually impossible to determine”. I strongly suggest you read this section to see how it applies to your coin. Finally, to be fair, there are many wheat cents that are ultra valuable because they have weak reverses, the best one that comes to mind is the 1922 NO D. …imo…Spark. @SensibleSal66
I realize this but it goes to show that only the well-known ones are, NOT just any. This is where Ebay has "tarnished" the Numismatic community, IMO.
Sal, I generally agree with your quoted paragraph on weak strikes, but at Error-ref.com you will discover that a weak strike can happen with brand new dies. And, you are correct that the ‘22 NO D variety is a known special case. I guess the bottom line is: given the strike result in the OP cent, would it ever command a premium like that of a 1922 NO D Weak Reverse? As a Zincoln, I say no, probably not…imo…Spark
I guess I didn't understand how much the term "error" is tied up with the concept of added value, makes sense tho. I think it's cool and unique on its own but probably only since it's the first one I've noticed. Just trying to learn, could someone explain what makes the above a weak strike rather than a grease strike? Error-ref used a lot of terms I'm not familiar with and it seemed some of the key differences they listed between the two weren't even applicable to Lincoln cents. Only asking for as much info as one is willing to give, or a point in the right direction.
The best advice I can give you is it takes time and experience to know the differences that apply to the coins you find, so don’t beat yourself up over it. You research and you learn, just like you are doing now. Regarding the weak strike question, versus being a grease/debris-filled die issue, …because of the ambiguity of all the causes involved for weakness, you may not be able to determine which one it is because both results may be produced by either happenstance. For most of us long time collectors, I think I can say with a fair amount of confidence that we see a specific look to a coin and say: “Oh, yeah, that’s grease-filled” because we’ve seen a lot of them. Eventually, you too will be able to distinguish between them. One last point: All of us here on Coin Talk agree to disagree daily over all kinds of stuff. We do it as gentlemen with respect to others and their expertise. Sometimes you just can’t nail the shoe to the floor because there are too many variables driving the train. (Sorry for the mixed metaphore). But that’s what our hobby is all about. Finding, learning, sharing. I still learn everyday new things offered by our members. I hope this diatribe helps…Respectfully Submitted, Spark
