Still going thru my coin stash and came across this 1941 wheat penny. The color was intriguing to me so I took some pics with my phone, added a magnifier and I am thinking I found: a) a die crack, on the reverse, to the right of the T in UNITED & b) I saw a crack line also on the reverse, running from the right of the C in CENT down to the D in UNITED plus an intersecting crack below the E in CENT heading left thru NIT in UNITED possibly due to a cracked planchet. Hopefully I’m on the right track with description and identifying error varieties. Thank you in advance for all of the help!
Your coin does not have a die crack on the reverse. Die Cracks have Raised Metal above the surface of the coin. Your coin looks to have a groove in it, similar to a Scratch. It is possible to be a Struck Through Debris (wire?) . The wear makes it very difficult the ascertain any diagnostics. There would be no value change for ether error. Good to keep as a study coin.
Thanks for your input y’all! I know it’s hard to see by the photos. Any suggestions on how I might be able to improve on taking a better photo of coins? I do have a Canon 60D with multiple lenses, including a macro. Lighting seems to be the issue for me and shaking/tremors in my hands. Should a light box be used? Different colored background maybe? Take photo indoors or outdoors? One last thing...what about the patina on my wheat penny? Is it more desirable like in the above photos or more of a solid brown? Again, thank you for answering my barrage of newbie questions!
Thanks fretboard for the name compliment....with a last name of Henn and the fact that I am a mom of two, it is the only choice to go with!
Alurid, in your opinion, other than a near/perfect coin or one with obvious errors, etc, what do collectors usually look for? I know it’s a very broad question, sorry, and I know that collecting, like art, is very subjective. Again, thank you very much!
Have 2 of those...lol. I believe I used it for the first pic I ever uploaded to CT. Lighting in house is warm; using light source gives glare and I’m at a loss at the moment trying to figure it out. Have been sifting through 20+ years of coins that have been sitting in a 5-gal water bottle and I can’t see, let alone, think straight! . Thanks Harpo!
https://coinauctionshelp.com/mint-error-die-variety-coin-images-values/#.WUzmI51KXIU. http://www.error-ref.com/.
You should be able to take wonderful pics with that camera. You need a copy stand or the right kind of tripod so the camera is supported over the coin. You can even make your own (the thread on a camera is standard). For lights, a lot of us use the small Ikea gooseneck Jansjo's. Best is a pair, set at 10 and 2 o'clock. Finally, you will be happiest if you shoot tethered to a laptop (software comes with the camera and can be downloaded from Canon). Start a new thread and lots of people will jump in - let's not hijack this one
