This penny was driving me nuts and I finally looked closely tonight and saw that it... Does it? Is that a "Y" in LIBERTY where a "T" should be?
I agree to damage. Here is a thread I created on the subject https://www.cointalk.com/threads/the-liberyy-cent-enigma.309022/
Good to know. Thanks. I might point out, more appropriately on your thread perhaps, that including my image, 50% of the shown LIBERYY pennies also bear a strike inconsistency on the bordering ring.
Many Cents have Misaligned Die Strikes. It is a common occurrence. That has nothing to do with the altered T in LIBERTY.
Understanding the die making process is the key to understanding why the T on your coin cannot be a Y. Individual letters are not punched into each die. The letters and designs are all on the master hub. The mint uses the master hub to make master dies. The master die is used to make working hubs and the working hub makes the working die which strikes the coin. The only way for it to be a Y is for the master to have an error. And if the master hub has an error, then every coin minted would show it. But copper is a soft metal and subject to numerous dings in circulation. Hope this helps