Hi all, new member here, hoping to tap into the expertise of you all! i was coin roll hunting this weekend and came across this really nice 1946 wheat penny. while i was trying to figure out if there were any double die errors, etc. i saw this on the backside... underneath or through the "UNUM" part of the penny... I'm interested in finding out if this is anything special? worth anything more than 2 cents lol? please let me know. ;-)
That's one heck of a die crack through UNUM. You have around 25X what you thought, around 50 cents, in coin. It's a common date, that's why, even in that grade. It's a little scuffed up. Call it AU58. Hey, welcome, lol! And nice find.
There is good information about this type of die error that is on the internet. One such site is: www.encasedcollectorsinternational.org/.../coin_errors_and_goofs.htm Struck-through errors: Struck-through errors occur when foreign objects fall between die and planchet during striking. Struck-through (wire bristle) Pieces of cloth, metal fragments, wire, slivers of reeding, grease, oil, dirt, wire bristles (from wire brushes used to clean dies, resembling staples), die covers and other objects may fall between the dies and the coin. The most collectible struck-through errors are those with the foreign object still embedded in the surface of the coin. Not sure what caused the line though the UNUM but it could be a metal fragment or sliver caught between he dies. Not sure of any value.
It is not a crack, but a scratch. Cracks are not that straight and very few begin and end on the coin.
Struck throughs would be on the lettering and would be incuse to the coin. The op is neither incuse not through the lettering.
it doesn't look like a scratch though. because the material is raised... p.s. thank you for the "welcome" post
No, it came on the die, it's special. The die was scratched. They're not really worth premiums, anyway, though, whether the one or the other. They're just kind of cool.
If you like it, it is special to you. If you mean not worth mega bucks, no it is not. Probably not even mini bucks.
Dick so it's a scratch on the die ? Because it sure looks raised to me and doesn't interfere with the lettering .