The penny 1968 no mint, on the Left, I decided to post because it looks like maybe it's different, sticks out to me that's all. Looks extra pressed to me. Idk. Your Input would be great, thanks. -LIZZ
No mint mark means it was minted at the Philadelphia mint. You can't compare a 1968 all Copper Cent with a 2001 Copper plated zinc Cent. The image has changed over the decades. That's why it looks different.
Meow thinks that over the years they change the design to make them easier to produce. Less pressure or a less stressful design to the dies would make the dies last longer too. Also the penny is still a penny, It does not account for inflation. So every year it can cost the same or more make a penny, that is worth less every year. So somethings gotta give.
Long answer: 1968 was the last year the hub of 1918 was used, and had accumulated 50 years of wear from being cast back and forth from working hub to master die each year. In 1969 they reworked the hub to strengthen the detail, and then started lowering the relief in the 80s. In 2010, they raised the relief a bit to more resemble the original, but the level of detail is not as sharp as it was in 1918 and earlier. It's more like the coins of the 1930s.
A cent earned is a cent saved, Cents from Heaven, A Cent for your thought......none of those click with me either.
Hello Meowthekitty!! Have you done any meow-ousing lately? You seem to be a smart feline. I may come to you for advice some day. (if it's ok)
You can see in the 1968 cent how very close the lettering and date is to the rim caused by deterioration and overuse. Most of that era before the change mentioned above have softness of design and the die deterioration. Jim
Here are two Proof cents, one from 1968 and the other from 1969. It's still Lincoln, but if you look at them closely, you will see that the artwork was changed and the details are stronger on the 1969 cent. The fact was the master hubs that were used in 1968 were simply worn out.
