Lincoln Cent Specialists - 1970 Small vs. Large Date

I have been cherrypicking small date 1970S cents for over two decades now and can tell you with 100% certainty that the top coin is indeed a small date cent. Anyone who says otherwise needs to relearn the difference. There are MANY differences between the large and small date cents, all of them are visible to some degree in the images provided, so there's no excuse for anyone who knows what they are doing to misdiagnose them.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

What you said would be true if everyone that visits or is a member of Coin Talk were seasoned Coin Collectors! However, the vast majority of folks that visit or are members of Coin Talk, are Novices or unseasoned Amateurs when it comes to coin collecting and identifying a 1970-S "Small Date" Cent from a 1970-S "Large Date" Cent!


Frank

 

I have to agree with this. The top is the small date, the bottom is a large date

 

I'll tell you is VERY easy to spot the small date without all the hoopla....just look at the tail of the 7. For the large date it is WAY WAY longer, if the the tail is very close to being level with the bottom of the 0, it's a small date. I swear, I can spot one from the opposite end of a football field! LOL

 

So If I take my straight edge and use an ice pick and scribe me a line between the.......... Just kidding..

Bell Rings.. Fights over..

 

I disagree. Most of the people here on CT are not amateurs when it comes to collecting! We have members that are experts in their field.
The differance in a 1970-S cent is not something that every collector is going to know about. I collect Jefferson nickels mostly and could care less about this variety....so why learn about all of the PUP until I focus more on this area of collecting...

Speedy

 

Huntsman53 - Thus the point in what I said. With the images provided it is obvious to anyone WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING that there's a small date and large date represented. Those who do NOT know what they are doing should reserve comment, because if the originator of the post took their advice, a $50 small date coin would go into a $1 roll and would be forgotten about, or worse yet, end up in circulation due to bad advice given.

People come here to learn and get educated advice from people who can give that advice without being wrong. Would you like for me to tell you that your $50 coin is worthless because I appear to know what I'm talking about but really don't? Ahh, my point. If you don't know the difference or cannot say for absolute certain which is which, the best thing to do is sit by the sidelines and allow someone who DOES know to answer first...or at LEAST state that you are uncertain in your response.

 

Speedy - perhaps it would be a good idea to learn as much as you can about coins because you never know when you will be confronted with a chance to cherrypick small date 1970S cents for a buck each or less each.

I don't collect nickels but I know all the major varieties and can identify them...not because I want to collect them, but because I don't pass up a good opportunity to cherrypick good coins at very low prices. I pulled a 1943P DDO nickel in BU out of a dealer's book for $4.50 a couple of years ago because I knew what it was. I sold it for $500 the same day. I don't care about Jefferson nickels, but I know how to pull a good coin when I see it.

 

Chuck,
My point was, that just because someone is more focused on a different type of coin doesn't make them an amateur in collecting.
It is alwasys good to hone skills on different types, and as the old saying goes...knowledge is power....

I hope I didn't seem to be saying that one shouldn't keep trying to learn.

Speedy

 

Speedy and Chuck,

Speedy,

I was not trying to demean any of the folks on Coin Talk as far as their coin collecting abilities! However, if a survey was taken on Coin Talk and every member and lurker were to respond, I think that you would find that the majority of folks consider themselves as novices or amateurs. Yes, nearly everyone here has expertise in certain areas but how many of the members can truly tell the difference between a 1970-S "Small Date" Cent and a 1970-S "Large Date" Cent or a 1982-P or D "Large Date" Cent from a 1982-P or D "Small Date" Cent as well as many others. We should always strive to educate those that are new to the hobby, to not condemn them for responding with incorrect information and correct the information when it is wrong.


Frank

 

Wow that's a really tough one! It's also hard to tell I think because it looks like the pictures might be from slightly different distances? Thanks for posting this though, I learned quite a bit from reading through everyone's posts.

 

I am not going to say because any angle of the camera is going to change the position of the "7" and "9" which I use for diagnostics

 

WOW, three pages of arguments about a 70S. HMMM. Chuck, why don't you just say go look at my web site. As soon as I saw this question I just opened your book and POOF, there is all the differences.
Wouldn't that have been easier?