Excited but torn

Good Morning: As I probably mentioned before I collected when I was a kid, and now in semi-retirement have decided to do some coin roll hunting. Long story short, I was going through my old collection and came across a roll of bicentennial pennies. My first thought is to tear it open and see what I've got, but then it's in the original wrapping. The wrapping says Bicentennial 1976. I can see the date on both enders, and they are both 1975. Curious, what would you do?

 

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The mint did give us modified designs for the dollar, half and quarter. But the cent remained unchanged. I am not a cent connoisseur, but I don't believe there was anything magical about the 76 cent. Unless there is some marketing value in the wrapper, I would probably open and enjoy them.

 

Good morning.

This seemed so strange to me that I went hunting around and I see that bicentennial pennies dated 1975 with Denver mint mark as well as 1976 cents may have been issued as bicentennial commemoratives bearing a liberty bell on the obverse in the opposite corner from where the date is?

I do not know whether these were made up by people outside the US Mint or not. But I bet if you searched the Internet, you could find out.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1975-1976-Bicentennial-Penny-THE-SECOND-CENTURY-CARD-4-Cards/183679944652?_trkparms=aid=222007&algo=SIM.MBE&ao=1&asc=20131231084308&meid=b66b8a9fbe2446629dc7a43bd622d47c&pid=100010&rk=3&rkt=5&sd=183668653244&itm=183679944652&_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109

Okay. I couldn't wait for you to search and find out so I did and here is the US Mint talking about their plan to issue on July 4, 1975, a bicentennial version of TWO of our coins and they talk about not wanting to disrupt commerce by changing the cent, dime and five cent piece or quarter. I don't know, though, whether later on they decided to release some quantity of us cents. Do the coins you can see at the ends of the roll look like proofs? I wish you could take a picture of the ends of your roll and the wrapping. Is the wrapping from a bank?

https://www.usmint.gov/learn/histor...garding-plans-for-national-bicentennial-coins

Very interesting and mysterious @Scubalou

 

I think it will be worth more in the Bicentennial wrapping.

 

The cents with the bell counterstamp was done after they left the mint.

 

Yep...Looks like it was the official issue of the US Bicentennial Committee.

https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/114506-1976--bicentennial-lincoln-penny

The OP did not mention a liberty bell on the coins he can see. Gosh, it is times like these I wish I had X-ray vision!

 

I’d keep them wrapped. Can you post a pic?

 

Sorry I couldn't respond, got called to work. I as yet haven't been able to post pics here. I have posted them elsewhere here's a link. https://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=340219
There is no bell on the wrapper, just a flag with 13 start and the words freedom and justice on either end, also 1776-1976 on the ends with the word Bicentennial and some stars.

 

Here's the pics.

 

They were simply a gimmick to sell face value coins for a profit. Just like the coins with state counter stamps, they never will actually have any added value.

 

Here's the pics.

 

Here you go.

 

Here's the pics

 

Ok, now you've gone from not being able to post pictures to posting multiple ones.

 

I just noticed the 9 and 7 on both enders seem to be hollowed out in the middle. What the heck is that.

 

Sorry, that was another coin site I wasn't able to post pics.

 

I only see md on the date.

 

I little bit of MD (machine doubling) and a little damage from a hit. Nothing major. That is official government US Mint wrapping especially made for the Bicentennial. There was so much for the 200th Anniversary it makes me glad I won't be around for the 300th or I'll be too old to care.

Leave them in the wrapper. It will be easier to sell and probably worth more. Once opened they are only worth face value. The chances of finding just one MS high enough to grade are very low.

 

Well the 250th is coming up soon!

 

Yeah but no guarantees I make it. Probably but I'll have to wait and see.