Ive taken two pennies from 1982, one is from Denver, the other has no mint mark. On the reverse side the 1982 D has a closed AM while the 1982 (w/o the mint mark) has an open AM. Is this a mistake? or were there two different designs for the different places it was made?
Hi, The top coin was struck by a die that was a little more worn than the bottom coin. That gives the appearance that the A and M are closer at the bottom. Both coins have the same reverse type. Thanks, Bill
Those are both wide AM variety. RDV-004 was the reverse used in 1982 for all the dies. What you are seeing is, as the die ages(makes coins) it wears and the letters seem to get closer together. I have seen this alot when looking at the 1992 and 1992D's for the close AM variety (RDV-007) check out the variety vista web site it has lots of good info on the lincoln cent reverse designs. Kie
I agree they are both wide AM but I think the wider one is from the more worn die and the die has been polished. Polishing the dies will make the letters appear further apart. It also makes the letters thinner. The second picture looks to me like a coin struck from a polished die.
Conder, that is also possible. I didn't think of that and I have seen it happen both ways. As a die wears the lettering can spread And... After a die is polished, the lettering can appear smaller. Good point! It could go either way. Thanks, Bill
