1909 Proof LWC???

I know this is a longshot but thought Id put it out there and get a more definitive opinion. Ive had this coin a long time. I just learned that there were matte proofs made the first handful of years of the series. This cent has always looked peculiar to me and I was looking at it the other day and I thought maybe this is whats weird about it. There's probably someone every other day thinking they have one so forgive me. I read up on the diagnostics a little. I believe there are two die varieties. The first has a diagnostic (die scratch?) running down along the nose and the second has a "claw" shaped diagnostic in the field to the right of Lincoln. The site I was on no longer had the pics available so I dont know exactly what the claw looks like. This cent definitely has something that could be considered claw-like in the field...

I have to remove it from its holder and get a better look at the rims but looking through the holder, they seem to be pretty pronounced. Finally, sorry about the pics. Hope they are good enough to make a call. One thing I could not capture is how satin-y it looks. Could just be a ton of scratches but the legends and Lincoln (is he a legend or what?) have nowhere near the frequency of "dings". The legends being higher than the fields, you would think they would be equally or more greatly "nicked up".

Thanks in advance for any thoughts and please let me down gently

 

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waste the 2 cents and take it out of the holder to take pictures

 

Sorry but no. Not a proof. Compare the rims.

 

Agreed, a lovely example, but not a proof strike.

 

Thanks for taking a look guys...I know there's a bit of wishful thinking clouding my senses

I wonder if it's just all nicked up? Or did some matte'd planchets get thrown into the circulation strike bin? It's just the oddest coin. I'll get better pics outside of holder and try to capture the satin-y-ness of it...Great learning experience; been learning a lot about early LWC proofs. Seems the second die variety is/was a bit contested. Fun stuff

 

I agree. I have a 1909 proof and your coin definitely is not one. That said, it's still a nice business strike.

 

Really? We almost NEVER see that on CoinTalk.

 

Yeah it's tough..."hmmm well these rims do look kinda square...especially when I turn it just so in the light..."

Who am I kidding: I'm still holding out hope damn it !

 

I'll have to let you down, too. It's a freaking beauty, though! Gentle enough?

 

Yes, that was nice. Can still feel a little good about my coin

Thank you

 

Anytime you get tired of it, I would love to adopt it...

 

Hey, you accepted it on the first page, usually it takes at least 20+ pages before the opinions on LMPs are accepted.

 

What does LWC mean? I've never seen MPL's referred to by that before.

 

Lotto winning cent? I was thinking the same thing.

 

Here are the Die 1 die scratches in front of the nose.



These are die scratches from Die 2. I don't think they are suppose to look like a bear claw, but more like scratches from bear claw.

 

That's where the claw is on mine!!!

 

I don't understand. Did I mess up? Is it not a wheat cent if it's a bit proof or something?

 

I'm back!

 

Oh, I get it. You're right it is a Lincoln Wheat Proof. They have always been called Matte Proof Lincoln's (MPL's) since before there were any other kind of Lincoln. It just threw me.

If your scratches are exactly like those in the photos I posted you should think about having it authenticated. The scratches need to be identical, not just in the same area. All the lines have to match.

 

1909 was the first year for Lincolns so the hubs and dies were in excellent condition. Some of us believe in the possibility that the used proof dies were released for use in normal coin production, either that or the mint was experimenting with sand-blasting the working dies. It's not too uncommon to find 1909's and 1910's with matte-like fields and pretty square rims. We get many posts every year and I can only recall a couple that where actually MPL's.

Here's the reverse of one of my 1909's, you can see the frosty matte-like fields: