The 1974 Aluminum Cent

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by Inventor1210, Dec 19, 2005.

  1. Inventor1210

    Inventor1210 Member

    Before there was a topic on a 1974 aluminum penny, and that an officer found one in the basement of a congressmen. Does anyone know who this congressman was? Or where the only 1974 aluminum penny found, came from?
     
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  3. satootoko

    satootoko Retired

  4. Inventor1210

    Inventor1210 Member

    Ok I knew that already, but what Congressman did the officer get the penny from???
     
  5. satootoko

    satootoko Retired

    The only one who knows the answer to that is the officer in question, who is undoubtedly retired and very possibly deceased.
     
  6. 09S-V.D.B

    09S-V.D.B Coin Hoarder

    Well, technically only one exists in the Smithsonian collection. And, as the article said, the Secret service can confiscate the only other known 74 aluminum coin.
     
  7. Inventor1210

    Inventor1210 Member

    The officer is deceased, and i know that it will be confinscated but.. who was that congressman???
     
  8. Charlie32

    Charlie32 Coin Collector

    Why do you think it will be confiscated? The only coins the Mint seems to want to confiscate are the 1933 double eagles.

    Charlie
     
  9. 09S-V.D.B

    09S-V.D.B Coin Hoarder

    :) When it comes up for auction, then the mint will confisctate it.
     
  10. Inventor1210

    Inventor1210 Member

    it will be confinscated because it is "government property". And only when auctioned. I just want to find 1. But to do that i need to know this congressman to give me a head start
     
  11. Speedy

    Speedy Researching Coins Supporter

    I don't think it will be confinscated....since they left it this long they won't do much IMO.....

    That will be kindof hard since all of the others that they minted were melted down...at least that is what is said.....anyway...I wouldn't bet on finding one.

    Speedy
     
  12. Inventor1210

    Inventor1210 Member

    who is the congessman????
    I have a list of every congressman from 1973-1974 just a first letter of a last name...
    through me a bone...
     
  13. satootoko

    satootoko Retired

    Since you refuse to accept the fact that NOBODY KNOWS except the possibly deceased cop, I'll suggest "R". :rolleyes:
     
  14. Inventor1210

    Inventor1210 Member

    thanks but somewhere somehow somebody must have written down who got these coins.
     
  15. satootoko

    satootoko Retired

    Okay - I re-read the article, and it appears that the officer is definitely deceased, as the coin showed up in the possession of this family.

    According to the story prototype coins were distributed to a "small number of Congressmen". Logicly those would have been members of the House and/or Senate committees overseeing the Treasury. That limits the number of potentials to a couple of dozen at most.

    But consider this:
    • Most members of Congress serving in 1974 are not only out of office, but deceased. Finding the living ones (if any) may not be easy.
    • Finding their surviving family members (most likely offspring, not spouses at this date) will definitely not be easy.
    • After you find any of them, it isn't very likely that this man (or woman) went home and told any member of his family "Hey, I dropped an aluminum cent today, and when a Capitol Police officer tried to return it to me, I told him to keep it."

    Sometimes the unknowable is simply that. :smile
     
  16. 09S-V.D.B

    09S-V.D.B Coin Hoarder

    Another thing, 2, that might put a dent in your collection is that it would cost about 10 million dollars, and it could be confiscated at any time by the gov.
     
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