1959 Wheat Cent Up For Sale...That's right, Wheat!

Here's another one to add to your list while coin roll hunting:

http://www.coinlink.com/News/us-coins/controversial-1959-d/

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Thanks for posting that.

Chris

 

If nothing else, it will get many folks looking through their wheaties jars. Who knows, maybe an Indian head VDB cent will appear!?!

 

Did I read that right? An estimated value of $40,000 to $50,000? Dozens of electron microscope pictures, among several other listed high-tech tests including some x-rays and such, dozens of man-hours, and who knows how much paperwork it has generated throughout the government offices involved... It appears to me that somewhere upwards of $100,000 has been spent in an attempt to authenticate this coin... Seems cheap at 50k...

 

so if this were sent to a tpg it wouldnt be authenticated but its been sent to the treasury and returned twice?

 

I can't remember where it was now. But I remember reading a story about this coin and it stated that a known coin counterfeiter (who was in prison at that time) had admitted to creating this coin. Who knows?

But in any case, how hard could it be to create something like this? It seems to me that anyone with access to a decent machine shop could do it. All you need is a couple ton press and the tools for making the dies, like a C&C machine and a bit of hand engraving for touch-up. Then you make one die from a 59 obverse and one from a 58 reverse, get some planchets of the correct composition, then BAM, pennies.

 

Here is a nice condensation of the cent and Mark Hoffman, forger of many historical documents and Mormon document/letters. There are several interviews available, I recall one I think on 60 minutes or something like that. Also one on a coin DVD about forgery.

http://www.scvhistory.com/scvhistory/signal/coins/sg090206-coins.htm

Jim

 

Is it really so hard to believe there is actually a few out there? There is Gold IHC's and steel 1944's so why not a 1959 D Wheat or two or three? I keep looking for one regardless.

 

agreed, after all that was done to it I figure it would sell for more...

because that costs a lot. Also, did you read the article?

agreed. :thumb:

 

Thanks for the link

 

Awesome Article!

Regards,
Stan

 

I agree. It does seem very cheap at that price.

I know I'd buy it in a heartbeat for $50K if I had the cash.

 

WOW!! I would think it would be worth more than 40-50K. Ice

 

Not necessarily, I have access to a machine shop here in the department at my school that has all of this equipment. Even if it were a lot of cost and trouble, a person would be creating something that could sell for many thousands of dollars which would make it worthwhile. At least there are people out there that would be willing to do it.

Yes, I read most of it. The coin was considered legitimate because it appeared to have come from a US mint and did not appear to be an altered coin. They were looking for manipulation of the date, seams where 2 coins had been spliced together, etc.

But the coin did not have to be altered to have been a forgery. If a person creates a coin using the same methods that the mint uses and using the same metal composition that the mint uses, then the coin will be exactly identical to one that would have came from the mint.

I'm not necessarily arguing that this coin is a fake (Although I tend to think that it is). All I'm asking is, how hard could it be to make a coin? Considering the amount of money that particular coins can sell for, I do not think that it would be all that hard.

 

How can there be just ONE?

 

Clearly I don't think you truely understand what it would take to create coins... I believe it takes a 200~ ton press to make coins with, you got one of those at the school shop? Those are definitely out there but then you are talking about reproducing a miniature piece of art. Do you have access to a master engraver? How about a reduction machine or do you just plan to carve a perfect reproduction die by hand?

At best the coin was made by someone at the mint intentionally, but bottom line after all that scrutiny it was definitly done at the mint.

Also I am not saying it could not be done outside of the mint, it would just not be economically feasable.

 

At your school? I went to UC and CSU that don't have the equipment. How does yours?

Why don't you make a us 1959 wheatie.
I'm sure you have master engraving skills?? Right??
I'm sure you have a coin press at your school. So they can mint counterfit coins. Lmao

please they can barely scrape off the edge of a presidential dollar. Now they can mint coins
somebody pinch me.

More likely a mule occurred like with the sacs and quarters and this lil bugger slipped out.

 

Ever stop to think if it was just a bored mint worker? Could of been the same worker who gave us all those rpm's in 1960. The workers at the mint are just ordinary Joe's we see everyday, some good some bad, and some are down right dirty. I would pretty much bet it came from the mint, made by a prankster who had his eyes set on making a bundle of dough. At least we have something to talk about...

 

It could be the same reason there is just ONE 1944-S steel cent (suspect it was purposely done) or the same reason there are 3 1958 D/D (they did not get them all out of the system).

 

We have an automotive division here in the mechanical engineering department. We have a 800-ton press that is used for pressing large ball joints together.

In any case, if you can build an appropriate frame, then having a knowledge of how hydraulics operate would allow a person to build an extreme press with little effort. It's not all that complicated, all you need is a small pump and a frame, hoses, and fittings that can withstand the pressure.

No, but I have access to a C&C machine that can mill with bits down to 10 thousandths of an inch. It would not require master engraving skills to clean up a die that had been milled to that precision.

Because I do not want to go to prison.

It doesn't have to be a "coin press" to make coins.

Whatever, can you argue your point without attempting to insult me?