Got this coin in pocket change the other day. Looks like someone tried to punch a hole through the 81 in the date. On the reverse by the E in America there is only a bruise, not a dent. If it was done by a punch wouldn't there be an obvious protrusion? Otherwise the coin looks pretty clean for a 40 year old Lincoln and it will fill a hole in my Whitman folder till I find a better one.
Looks like the coin was punched into something really hard.The dent on the reverse would be where it would've exited through the reverse.But not enough force was applied,yup just damage still a nice looking cent.
It was placed on a hard surface to punch and flattened the E. It wouldn't protrude on the reverse as the coin would just give when struck with the punch without it being on a hard surface.
