Accepting offers. Want to sell on this forum. Please keep in mind that mint error slabs cost $55 each, not including the processing fee and to/from shipping. Thanks!
I think the cent is really cool, although it also looks to me like it's had some help over the years. My suspicion is that the clamshell delam stood well proud of the coin, was substantially torn away from it at one point, and was pressed back down to keep the coin intact as best as possible. If that's the case, I suppose I can't really fault the owner for wanting to prevent it from separating . . .
Just how thin is the metal on that cent's clamshell lamination? It looks to be as durable as crinkled tinfoil. It's so ugly, it's beautiful...
The fact that it circulated for a number of years (probably a decade), tells me that no one messed with it to preserve it, as you suggest. Did some kid play with it and smash it down back in 1950? Yeah, probably. But that doesn't detract from the awesomeness of it, for me at least.