Your coin is a normal impaired proof. If you read the link I provided, you will see that. What you want, also provided in the link, is a 1999P Wide AM like this one that I found while CRHing:
I am definitely sure of that. I have a lot to learn. I am just trying to understand why a proof coin would be in circulation.
Because why not? People break up sets all the time and spend coins. 99% of the population couldn't care less that it is a proof coin. They just want the money to spend.
An educated coin collector will generally not put a proof coin in circulation. A non coin collector, one of their kids, a relative, and every one else won't know a proof from a regular cent, and will thus use it. Or maybe a collector gave the cent to a kid, or adult or maybe needed a penny for something and decided to use it. Who really knows, right ?
i have found quite a few cent and nickel proofs roll searching, people and some dealers break up proof sets all the time, they sell the other coins individually an throw the cents into circulation, i once had ten proof sets from the 1980's that had been in a house fire, they were all melted together, took a while but i broke them apart and kept the coins that were unimpaired, the rest got dumped at the bank..
