Puzzling 1961 D Cent

Someone posted this coin on Instagram wondering what's going on with it. No one really knew, so I was hoping the experts here could figure it out.
They are saying the diameter is larger than a 'normal' cent but thickness is the same. Weight is 3.1 g.
These are all the pics that the person posted:

 

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I'm on IG as well, have been looking for some decent numismatic related pages, but haven't found much

 

Looks like a "encased coin". It once occupied the center of an aluminum or steel ring on which was stamped a message or advertising slogan.

 

How could an encased coin become larger in diameter?

Chris

 

True!

Now we know for a fact that it could not be minted that way unless it was Broadstruck out of collar. Maybe it was crushed just slightly in a vise between 2 pieces of leather, so not to disturb the Reverse and Obverse images.. that could of caused the larger diameter.

 

not possible at the mint.

Must be PMD, by elimination

 

Yeah there's not much in the way of education. Pretty much just people showing off their collections and silver stacks.

 

That's not too bad though. At present, my IG timeline is just booty, booty and more booty. The Tumblr feed is even worse.

 

Some of those encased cents were put in the outer ring and then softly struck to merge the cent to the ring. Maybe the strike was soft enough to not damage the design but forced the diameter outwards. If it were heated this would be doable. Also, for a 61 this cent looks VERY flat. They were usually in very high relief. Evidence?

 

If it wasn't flattened, it would have to have been struck with larger dies. Seems unlikely.

 

Wait you guys are on IG? You should follow me. @sullysullinburg1

 

Listen to yourself! Do you really believe what you are suggesting?

Officer at a traffic stop: Why do you have a bag of marijuana on your back seat?
Motorist: I don't know how it got there.
Officer: Well, it didn't just fly through the window because it is closed.
Motorist: Maybe it closed the window after if flew inside!

Chris

 

Considering I have checked coins placed in such devices over the years, and have found many to be slightly larger than mint issues, yes, I am listening to myself.

Instead of making a pot joke, how about come up with another hypothesis that would fit available facts. Are you asserting its a forgery? Mint error? What?

 

This isn't slightly larger. It looks to be about 10% larger. I've seen the rim of an encased coin expanded slightly from the crimping, but this shows no sign of crimping. Besides, if it were stretched as you suggest, you would probably see some deformation in the devices. It wouldn't stretch perfectly without distortion. It isn't even likely that a copper, nickel-sized planchet was used because it can't fit in the coining chamber.

The only possible explanation I can come up with isn't much better. The OP found this posted on Instagram. Is it possible that the original photo is merely a composite of two separate photos merged together, and whoever created it was intentionally trying to fool others?

Sorry about the pot joke. I've been watching too many episodes of Cops on TV. It wasn't intended to be a slur against you.

Chris

 

No problem. Maybe these old eyes just saw the size difference as smaller than you did.

 

This is a common alteration known as a "Texas cent". The cent was flattened between two relatively soft surfaces, like leather.

 

Encased. The telltale sign of that is the groove in the edge.

 

I stand corrected, as Mike stated it's a "Texas Cent".

 

All you folks missed the obvious!

The 1962-D is simply smaller...............

 

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