I am so new to this, about two weeks into coin collecting / hunting and have been reading a lot, but I don't know if this penny has a lot of damage or extreme die cracks or die breaks? Any information would be helpful to continue learning.
Look like just old damage to me. Look at the rim to the lower right where the “die crack” starts. It looks like a scratch. PMD
Welcome AMA. When taking a picture, crop the photo to eliminate busyness and post enlarged (in focus) photos. Rather hard to tell what you may have there with a distant shot.
Thanks for the replies and the pic advice. I cropped the pic and set at higher magnification. Hope this helps.
Thanks. Unfortunately just a scratch but if it was a rim-to-rim crack that would have been a fine find. Keep hunting. You’ll find one with time.
Yep a scratch. Die cracks are raised, and that is sunk in so its a scratch. And Cats know all about scratching well. Oh and most of the time die cracks are a bit wavy in the way they meander across a coin. Like a crack in concrete, it never goes in a perfect straight line.
Is this more like a die crack then? I'm trying to learn what to look for and how to tell them apart. Thanks for the help.
Here is some interest info. https://coinauctionshelp.com/mint-error-die-variety-coin-images-values/#.WUzmI51KXIU
Ok I guess I just got confused because that information says that die cracks rarely add any value to a coin, so I guess I'm back to square one, lol.
If I'm not mistaken, aren't the "spitting eagle", "speared buffalo" and "wounded eagle" coins die cracks or are they die scratches?
@AMA The majority of errors you'll find in circulation, such as die chips, filled dies, die cracks, etc., will be minor and not add any value to the coin. That said, there's nothing wrong with saving them. While it's possible to find something valuable, it's not very likely. Even finding an error that might have a retail value of $1 isn't common. So if you're searching for errors to make extra money, it isn't going to happen. If you're searching because you enjoy it, then you're in the right place. CT members enjoy helping new collectors learn about numismatics and the minting process.
I would certainly like to find something extraordinary and make big bucks. But the fact is I cannot resist looking at coins, it just makes me very happy and satisfied, so regardless of making any money, I spend a lot of my free time now looking and collecting coins. I just find every tiny difference in coins fascinating.
Welcome to CT. Die cracks run from one are to another and they can be anywhere on the coin. Die chips are smaller and they can also be anywhere. Neither are worth more than a few dollars, unless you find a major one, like a speared Buffalo.
