1977 Lincoln Cent 2.4 grams error ?

Discussion in 'Error Coins' started by Captain Butch, Dec 16, 2017.

  1. Captain Butch

    Captain Butch New Member

    I found this coin in my pocket change a couple weeks ago and took it to a coin shop.
    I told him I think it's a damaged thin planchet error, after he looked at it he literally threw it on the table and said the only thing you've got is a worn out penny. I almost knocked him out of his chair. Was he right and was I wrong for feeling that way? The condition of the coin makes it hard to take a good pic. IMG_20171216_102809.jpg Sat Dec 16 10-12-32.jpg Sat Dec 16 10-13-39.jpg Sat Dec 16 10-14-25.jpg Sat Dec 16 10-15-03.jpg Sat Dec 16 11-03-32.jpg
     
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  3. Oldhoopster

    Oldhoopster Member of the ANA since 1982

    It looks like it suffered environmental damage. Possibly spent some time in an acidic solution, but there are so many things that can cause copper to react/corrode, you'll never know for sure.

    However, you can be sure that it didn't leave the mint like this
     
    352sdeer likes this.
  4. Kasia

    Kasia Got my learning hat on

    I am not sure what you have, but evidently you really wasted that dude's time! That being said, no one (especially a coin shop employee or owner) should be throwing other people's coins down on a table or elsewhere, and although you were upset, at least it was not a valuable coin.
     
  5. cpm9ball

    cpm9ball CANNOT RE-MEMBER

    @Captain Butch

    We get a lot of posts, here, from people who have taken their "unusual" coins to a local B&M and were told that they definitely have something. From experience, many of us have concluded that local dealers have very little interest and know next to nothing about error coins. Personally, I think you should consider yourself lucky that the dealer didn't suggest that you submit it to one of the major grading services. We hear that a lot!

    FWIW, I don't think the dealer was out of line by throwing your coin on the table. If he had any doubt, I'm pretty sure that he would not have done that. Forgive him for being brutally honest. There are some of us, here, who feel as though we are just :banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead: too!

    Chris
     
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  6. BooksB4Coins

    BooksB4Coins Newbieus Sempiterna

    Hmm... let's see now. Wanting to knock a guy "out of his chair" because he didn't tell you what you wanted to hear? Yeah, I'd say you were wrong (to put it nicely).

    Perhaps, sir, you should take the time to at least try to place yourself in the other guy's shoes before again returning to his place of business. Perhaps try to understand how common it is for someone to walk in the door, perfectly willing to waste his time as well as label him as the bad guy unless they walk out with fat pockets. Perhaps think about the fact that he was willing to take a look and share his (hopefully) professional opinion with you for free instead wanting to assault him for his generosity.

    That said, if interested in such coins, you'd be wise to embrace the basic concept behind Occam's Razor in that far more often than not, the simplest and most obvious answer is usually the right one.
     
  7. Captain Butch

    Captain Butch New Member

    It wasn't the fact of the answer. It was the etiquette.....
     
  8. BooksB4Coins

    BooksB4Coins Newbieus Sempiterna

    Like expecting his professional opinion, presumably without offering to pay for it? Etiquette, indeed....
     
  9. 352sdeer

    352sdeer Collecting Lincoln cents for 50 years!

    Yup I agree this Abe went to the spa and had a little acid jacuzzi soak.
     
  10. Kasia

    Kasia Got my learning hat on

    I hardly think that to have a shop owner look at one coin is something most would charge for. For all he knew, it might lead to a customer or possibly the ability to purchase something if it was valuable. On the other hand, contracting a dealer to do a full appraisal of a collection is a different story.

    But most people off the street don't know that many coin shops aren't knowledgeable about some errors or varieties. Just popping into any shop and thinking you will get someone who is widely diverse is wrong.
     
  11. V. Kurt Bellman

    V. Kurt Bellman Yes, I'm blunt! Get over your "feeeeelings".

    It is a rare commodity among the dealer community. They are NEARLY uniformly gruff and viciously direct and honest with their opinions. As for me, if you think you can, explain to me the fascination with severely damaged coins, because I have to admit I just don't get it. I've spent 54 years in this hobby searching out perfection, not flaws.
     
  12. Captain Butch

    Captain Butch New Member

    It wasn't the fact of the answer. It was the etiquette.....
     
  13. BooksB4Coins

    BooksB4Coins Newbieus Sempiterna

    How many doctors do you know that willingly share the fruits of their experience, in office, for free? How about a noise coming from your furnace: any heating/cooling specialists willing to diagnose the problem as well as provide you with the details on how to fix yourself?

    The entire point, Kasia, and one which I'm sure you're well aware, is that this individual was more than happy to expect to benefit from this person's knowledge free of charge, yet wants to whine about etiquette. The same as was suggested for the OP goes for you too: you spend your days having people expect, no, demand that you provide them with the benefits of often years of acquired knowledge all while painting you as the bad guy or worse when things don't go their way. It gets old very quickly and is one of the most unfortunate aspects of this business.

    I never said nor remotely suggested most do or should charge for such a thing, but as with so much else in this hobby, people treat it differently than they would most anything else, including their own time being wasted.
     
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  14. Kasia

    Kasia Got my learning hat on

    Sorry, Coin Shop operators are not doctors nor are they maintenance repairmen who come to the house, and perhaps you would think a coin guy could also give advice on the phone about a coin, sight unseen.

    Yes, the guy's time was wasted, but he has to expect to have some of his time wasted looking at a coin or two on occasion. Or he could have put a sign charging for that service and collected ahead of time.

    How much time? If the dude was perhaps using a cane or walker and had to walk from the counter to a desk that was 20 feet away, maybe 5 minutes on a slow day.

    Doesn't mean the guy should have thrown the coin. I still disagree with that.

    I guess I must be a really horrid person, as many times I engage in talk, if possible, about coins and values, etc., with dealers at shows, even when I have absolutely no intention to buy one thing from that dealer. And I expect free info from people here, too.

    Now as far as etiquette goes, neither the shopkeeper or the OP had much in this instance.
     
  15. Pickin and Grinin

    Pickin and Grinin Well-Known Member

    It's pretty obvious that you still believe you have an error, at least he was willing to stand behind his opinion, by tossing it around like the damaged, zero value cent that it is.
    You should do yourself a favor, learn the minting process, and educate yourself with what a coin should look like.
    That guy probably gets 10-20 people a week thinking that they are millionaires.

    Do yourself a favor, go buy an oil painting, crinkle it up into a ball,
    spill some chemicals on it, put a few pinholes in it, then take it to a gallery and ask them to appraise it for you.
    I am sure their response will hurt more, than, the dealer tossing your coin back, and telling you to spend it.
     
  16. desertgem

    desertgem Senior Errer Collecktor

    You gave the weight, but stack it on top of another cent and take a photo from the top. I think you will find it has a smaller diameter than a normal cent at the rim. If so, it has been soaked in acid. The acid removes for all dimensions , thickness, diameter , and weight. Thin planchets will have exactly the same diameter. jim
     
  17. desertgem

    desertgem Senior Errer Collecktor

    P.S. The lettering, date, portrait will be reduced by acid equally with the background, so these all stay distinct on very thin acid damaged coins.
     
  18. BooksB4Coins

    BooksB4Coins Newbieus Sempiterna

    Sorry, but that's simply ignorant, and is evidenced by the fact you paint all of such people in a negative light as "coin shop operators", which many certainly are, but is far from the case with all. In the stated examples as well as with many dealers, they're offering a service often requiring years of knowledge that simply didn't fall into their laps, but like I said, people love to treat this business differently than they would most anything else. Thanks for proving the point.


    If you can't counter substance, simply project. This is about EXPECTATIONS and really is as simple as that. I never said nor suggested there's anything wrong with talking to people, answering questions, or not charging them, and in fact, I specifically addressed/clarified as to hopefully avoid the convenient and predictable spin, but simply acknowledging as much wouldn't be as fun as the "horrid person" nonsense, would it?

    And, no... neither did show much in the way of respect, but as you surely know, even if only from your time here, only one side usually feels the forum's wrath. Nothing wrong with spreading the "love" around.
     
  19. Kasia

    Kasia Got my learning hat on

    Whatever, go ahead and paint me that way like you do to many here on CT. I'm not projecting nor am I putting out an ignorant view.
     
  20. Michael K

    Michael K Well-Known Member

    My old LCS guy always was very respectful with the coins I brought in, and always placed them carefully on a special (velvet-type board).
     
    Kasia likes this.
  21. BooksB4Coins

    BooksB4Coins Newbieus Sempiterna

    Yet you're again projecting with this very post; some things never change, do they?

    It's okay, though.... on CT, the dealer is always the bad guy and the one to shoulder all blame in every situation. There's certainly no reason to even consider other viewpoints or that there's always two sides to such stories.
     
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