10 cents is a dime except when they're silver

As a life long penny saver, at the end of the day, all of my pocket change went into a jar. One evening, not too long ago, my daughter comes home telling me of a "weird dime" she received in change for bus fare. When she gives me the coin, I thought to myself, this is no dime. It is a silver penny!
I began to research it on line and I learned that there is an anomaly of a silver penny.
I recently met with a gentleman who was unfortunately duped with a bogus silver penny. When I reviled to him my 1976 silver penny, he didn't hesitate to immediately make me an offer.
With his seemingly exuberantly high offer, I instinctively knew that more research was required before I sell. Here is what I've learned: My coin is correct in the numbers and it passes all of the authenticity tests. So, with all of the knowledge and information I've gathered, I'm still at a loss as to what I should do next. Can anyone help me with my 1976 silver penny?

 

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What authenticity tests?

 

weight: 3.11gr diameter: 19.04mm ferrous: none

 

Pictures please

 

Plated maybe?

 

Welcome to CT Kieth. I'm sorry to say, but don't get your hopes up, we must get two or three claims of silver pennies (cents) a week. They inevitably are determined to be plated or fake. Even without images, I have some major concerns. If it were silver, it would not weigh the same as a standard cent since the density of the metals differ. Also, I try to come up with a scenario where it is plausible for a silver cent to be struck in 1976 at the mint...and there are none. No silver planchets had been used at the mint for twelve years at this point. Please post some images.

Edited to add that there are a couple of known cents struck on a foreign planchets. It would most likely be made of nickel if this were the case.

 

First, welcome to the neighborhood @Keith Richey !

Chris

Second.......

 

Sorry about quality of pics.

 

Yeah the density of silver is 10.49 compared to 8.96 for copper, so the same amount of silver as in a cent, should weigh 3.64 g or, if it were a silver dime blak, it should weigh 2.5 g

 

Really looks like a zinc plated copper cent. Google "Silver and gold penny experiment"

 

Should have taken the offer.

 

Yea. I thought so also. So a small metal test on the obverse showed no plating

 

A small test on the obverse show's no plating

 

Michael K, and Chris I thank you for some input. How about. Why and where would it come from.
Kirkuleez, Muzyck I am stumped. It is listed on the mint coin error page. Yet it only showed ?'s in all box's.

 

Not sure what website you are referring to, could you post the link?

 

The weight tells us it's not silver. It's plated.

 

Hey look, silver pennies
http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-1976-Lin...er-/231038765258?_trksid=p2385738.m2548.l4275

 

If it were struck on a silver Dime planchet it would be smaller and thinner.. think about it

It would be like making a large pizza pie with a handful of cookie dough.

 

Oh look, its this thread again.

I sometimes wonder if all the silver penny threads thru the years have all been by one guy, a real pro troll. This is his lifes work. His masterpiece.