Has anyone ever seen anything like this before. It's a 1997 penny but it looks like a major die error. There is a circle stamped in it and a sideways "U" above lincoln's head and looks like a sideways "H" at his necktie. Please see attached. Thanks.
No, I have never seen one like that, but I could make one. Someone took a stamp and punched the coin - post mint damage.
Thanks for the quick reply and advice. How do you know if it's post mint damage or if it came from the mint?
Hi Angela welcome to CoinTalk, it looks like someone has counterstamped it for some reason, any chance that you could post a pic of the other side?
We know because there is nothing during the minting process that We know because there is nothing during the minting process that could have done this. Also the design is completely encuse and not raised - the dies at the mint are a negative or encuse image of the coin so when they strike the blank or planchet the metal fills the voids to create the positive image we see on a finished coin - we study the mint processes very thoroughly and always have to ask first when dealing with errors, "what could have, or could not have caused this"?
Angela, Welcome to the forum. To expound on what bhp3rd stated. If you look at the shoulder of Lincoln, you will notice that the outline still exists. This is the same with the date and 'Liberty'. As bhp3rd indicated the dies are reverse like a jello mold. Remove the mold and you see the positive design. This implies that the original striking process was normal. Then at a latter date some nefarious person or persons unknown took a circular object - like a tube and smacked around Lincoln's head. Leaving the impression that we observe. Hope this helps a little. I have several coins that have been modified in some way. I keep 'em - I think they are neat in there own right .
Oh well, sorry, but here is my take on it. Looks like the imprint of a 5/16 inch socket head cap screw. Just made one and compared it to the one one to the pic, might be wrong on the size, could be metric, but it seems to match, also on yours there seems to be a faint hex shape on the inside of the circle, matches the hex key socket. Most of the bolts have a makers mark, "U' would possibly stand for "unbrako". It could have happened in the mint, if they follow standard machine shop practice. but pennies get used for shims in machine shops all the time, the cheapest copper washer you can get is a punched penny. This is where provenence comes in. If it were found in a mint wrapped roll, with witnesses, with the facing coins bearing matching toning, then it would be better. Thanks for finding and posting it, I think many valuable pieces get tossed just couse they ain't purty.
