Hi there guys! I found this penny on the street a little while ago (I think in a parking lot), and the sharpness of the rims really caught my attention. They were sharp, and so I thought that maybe due to the strong detail and interesting appearance of the fields that it may be a circulated proof. I imaged it here, with a 1963 lightly circulated and toned proof on the left, the coin in question in the middle, and a standard business strike 1965 on the right. I think it’s odd because the obverse fields seem to resemble the proof more than the business strike, while the reverse fields seem to resemble the business strike more than the proof. I know that proof coins are typically thicker due to the higher pressures so I did a rim size comparison photo with the proof on top, coin in question in middle, and the business 1965 on bottom. Lemme know you guys think! Also as most cents seem to be from this era the rim size is somewhat variable depending on the coin location and this was a thicker angle of the coin in question when stacked up. Thanks, Soren.
There is no such thing as a proof 1965 Lincoln cent. There were only SMS (Special Mint Set) coins that year. Could your find be a SMS coin that escaped its packaging and got into circulation? I don't know. I sort of doubt it, though I guess it's possible. The squared off rim is interesting. It is kind of a moot point, though, since in that condition, the coin is unlikely to be worth more than face value in either case. I'm not sure your 1963 coin is a proof either, for that matter. They did make proofs that year, but that coin does not look like one to me.
Oh yes, you're right. Silly me. I forgot they only did SMS that year. I wonder if the rims are square in appearance from being run over a couple times, as I found it in a parking lot I do believe. The 63 is for sure a proof, I posted it when I first found it.
