hey guys, i have recently acquired a 1970 san franciscan lincoln penny throug my change. I have read about how to determine between the large and small dates by checking the tops of the letters. I still find this very hard. any suggestions?
It's rather easy actually - if the top pf the 7 is level with the 9 & the 0 - it is a small date. If the top of the 7 is lower - it is a large date.
Actually I know an easier way. The SMALL date coins display a very weak Liberty. You can usually pick this up with the naked eye. If you look at a 70-s cent and Liberty is bold and strong...it's a LARGE date. If Liberty is soft and mushy...it's a SMALL date.
tradernick - While the method you propose may work for more experienced collectors - it requires a judgement call. Not everyone would be able to recognize a soft strike from a strong strike. With the method of using the 7 - it either is or it isn't. No judgement required. There are several other diagnotics that can be used to distinguish the '70 small date and the '60 small date as well besides those most commonly used. And everybody has their favorites. But I would suggest using the ones you are most familiar with in order to keep from making mistakes.
It's always wise to check all diagnostics that you can...but I still think my way is easiest. Over the years I've shown this to a lot of novices and they've all picked it up easily. The difference is very dramatic. Liberty is either very bold or very weak...there's no middle ground, so to speak. It can be seen with the naked eye so is the fastest way I've found.
