1992 Strange Error

Okay, is this a die chip or a die that was hit and damaged? The mark is raised and looks like a D. Some of the photos were taken with a microscope with harsh lighting and the others with a digital camera.

Would love to hear what you think.

Thanks ~ Darryl

 

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Thats pretty wild, could be a hardness test. Its not round but they could have substituted with whatever that is... ???

 

It's just rot under the plating that has broken through the copper plating. It's a common thing on copper-plated zinc cents. It is not a D.

Thanks,
Bill

 

That's really something, sure looks like a "D" to me. I'm just learning about errors and I absolutely know nothing. Can you please elaborate on your response? :thumb:

 

Bill:
That was my first reaction.
It can't be a dropped letter, much too small.
It can't be from a misplaced MM, wrong mint.
It can't be a die chip, wrong shape. Heck I have never seen die chips with straignt sides, and not irregular shapes.
It can't be zinc rot, there is no other evidence elsewhere on the obverse. And it would be strange to have it in only one tiny spot.

It can't be anything that I can think of.

Darryl, all I can say is: ?



Is there any other evidence of zinc rot? Check above date to the left. I see the scrape on the rim at 7 o'clock, did it pierce the copper?

 

Sorry Bill, but I don't buy it. The outside edges are to defined and sharp to be the copper layer being pushed up. There is vergis in the center no doubt but if what you are saying was correct the outside edges would be more sloped. Without a chemical bath to remove the vergis in the center I do not know how to better show the area. One shot from the scope also shows what looks like part of a NE if front of his nose. It is very faint but I believe it is there. As I was not focusing on this area I did not get it better than shown in the one shot. Unfortunately I will not get another chance to get it under a scope until I return from an overseas trip.

Thanks for taking a look.

Darryl

 

That's very interesting to say the least.

 

Darryl

Perhaps our answers would be more satisafying if you were not a Steeler fan!

Please re-consider that stance!

(J/K but, hey what do I know, I root for the Jets & Giants. )

 

It could be a dropped 'G' from Gasparro's initials. Sometimes dropped design elements can be on the opposite side of the coin. It looks like a 'D', but that could be from distortion. There's no other dropped letter it could be on a cent. It's too small even for a mint mark.

 

Hey Frank - with enough information to support a position I can be covinced of almost anything when it comes to errors - but who to support on the field of play - there is only one nation that I could ever follow - The Steeler Nation...

I am half tempted to give this coin a serious chemical bath to clean up the surface and better see what's underneith. The vergis is eventually going to spead and destroy the surface anyways so it would only help to better examine what's under the gunk. The coin will never be worth much more than a cent so I am not sure if there would be much harm done. I look at about 15K cents per week and I have never seen anything quite like it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Darryl

 

I guess you are correct about the size. I wish the gunk was not in the center so I could see what is underneath!

 

A lot 92 have bad bad zinc & gas bubbles spot on them. but never seen one like this. you may need to have an expert check it out,and that is not me.is there anyway you get a close up of the mark like this

 

It's as Bill says, zinc rot. If it were a dropped letter it would be incuse.

 

I thought of that, but I can't tell if it's incuse from the pictures.

 

Jello,

Unfortunately the cent is at home and I will not be back in the office to examine it again under the scope until Nov. 23.

While I am no expert either the issue on this coin just doesn't look right to be a gas bubble or delamination from corrosion. I wouldn't mind someone looking at it but I doubt anyone knowledgable enough would take the time to do so. I will shoot a couple more shots when I return and the if the concensus is gas bubble I will soak it in a copper cleaner to get a closer look. I know it will ruin the surface but I will be able to see what is under the gunk.

Best Regards ~ Darryl

 

If you're so inclined, you could try poking the area in question with a toothpick to see if it 'pops.' If you're going to use chemicals anyway, why not?

 

When I go under the scope again I will try a less agressive approach to remove the gunk.

Thanks to everyone who replied!

 

nah, no toothpick, but try a solvent.

 

I am not sure what this is. I do not believe it is a Mint error. It cannot be, as already stated, a dropped letter because it is not incuse. It is not an errant MM because the Mint stopped punching MMs after 1989.

The fact it looks like a "D" is most likely just a coincidence. Maybe Bill is correct and it is corrosion. Before reading the responses I thought it might be a wayward piece of metal (or other foreign material) that adhered itself to the coin by way of some type of adhesive or goo that dried.

 

Verrry interesting. Maybe the top of an 'R' or half a 'B'? Or, a popped bubble.....