Any ideas what happened?

I came across this penny and I can't figure out what could have caused this. The damage doesn't cover the whole diameter of the coin on the reverse. Parking lot damage or dryer? any thoughts?

 

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I have found a coin that looks nearly identical to this one... unfortunately it's somewhere in my copper jar, so can't show pics of it right now. Is the rim on yours also kind of worn, and no hard edges on it?

I put mine in the copper jar cause I believe it is PMD

 

Dryer coin damage. Depending how long it's stuck between the drum and the wall of an industrial dryer will determine how it looks.


Not a mint error of any kind.

 

Bingo. That's what I thought, PMD all day especially with the rim being damaged too. Mine was a copper one, so it's worth 3c to me.

 

Also, nice collection you got there

 

Do you buy copper Lincolns for 3 cents?

 

No, I wouldn't ever buy them, but when I come across a copper cent in my CRH, I keep it. Kind of like a savings account, but in copper.

 

Copy, I understand. If you got the space might as well.

 

I'd say acid or heat damaged that cent, not a dryer coin, IMHO.

 

Once again, this is a misconception that keeps being perpetuated because of ignorance. Many members here will tell you you are wasting your time holding onto non-keeper copper cents.

1. Inflation will eat away at their value so saving them defeats the purpose.

2. Recyclers will not touch them because it is still illegal to melt them and they comprise the wrong copper content. It is too expensive to remove impurities.

For those 2 reasons alone makes keeping old, worn out non-collectible copper cents an exercise in futility. Over the past 5 years I have culled out several thousand of these, some of which I began collecting in 1962. They have all been spent, mostly for gas for mowers and generators.

The only logical reason anyone would save these is if you were making type-sets for future generations. But their value appreciation is many years, if not decades from now…imo…Spark

 

I respect your opinion and point of view, and you are correct about their melting difficulties (and illegalities)
I only keep them because I find it fun to watch my copper jars fill up. I most likely will someday just dump these into a coinstar, but for now it's a fun way to make those boring penny boxes interesting.

 

Also, I would add that people do buy copper cents on ebay, most likely to search for varieties or to fill up their books. I might use that exit strategy someday instead of the coinstar lol

 

I used to keep copper cents around 2011, when "copper is the new silver" was the hot phrase. I also bought copper bars and copper rounds, most of which I've sold. Anyway, I stopped. Wasn't worth selling on ebay for such a tiny profit after fees and shipping.
I did entertain the idea of building a backyard smelter and making my own .950 copper bars... but that never got off the ground.

 

You can tell the difference. On a dryer coin the upraised rim kind of folds in into the field. I see that trait on the Cent in question. It's not acid dipped.

 

Lol while I do keep copper cents, I don't buy that FOMO 'copper is the new silver' stuff.

 

Yeah I learned my lesson. Silver crashed from $60/oz. to $30/oz. and once again, silver was the new silver. And copper was copper.
Of course, I was young and dumb then. But I cashed in my copper cents and sold my copper bars (except for a 1 kilo bar that's fun to have friends hold) and rounds (except for a few cool ones).

 

Nice, sometimes the designs on those copper rounds tempt me... but i'd rather buy another IHP or silver instead

 

But yeah, same as you I also fell into the trap of FOMO a while ago, lost money, learned my lesson.

 

However, the regulation includes an exception for the treatment of 5-cent and one-cent coins for educational, amusement, novelty, jewelry, and similar purposes as long as the volumes treated and the nature of the treatment make it clear that such treatment is not intended as a means by which to profit solely from the value of the metal content of the coins.

So you could melt them to use to produce Artistic such , or as many have done to epoxy their bath room floors or even the surface of an automobile, produce table lamps, etc. without worry the gov. is going to arrest you. I have a cap with a Morgan that is pinned there for coin shows, etc. Not illegal, although people still tell me it is. Jim

 

Thanks everyone for your comments and and answers. I've got more I'll be posting later and asking for your opinion/advice.
Thanks again