I'm not an expert on errors by any means, but could it be a calibration piece, struck when the mint is calibrating equipment. I thought I have heard of these being struck very weakly sometimes. Hopefully, someone with better knowledge will chime in.
hmm... i wouldn't be inclined to eat it tho... i'm not sure what that is... never seen anything like that before. i'd keep a hold on that for a bit!
It is very worn.I don't think that is an error or a test piece struck for calibration purposes. Aidan.
I have a cent that looks very similar to the cent on the picture. I would say that the cent was altered by hammering it between two blocks of wood forcing the rim metal out onto the field in a thin layer. The term used for this is "wood blocking". Just my opinion. Lou
I wonder if it was one of the first strikes of the run ? I don't know, but maybe when dies are made and stored, they put wax on them to preserve the striking surface for use. Maybe this coin was struck with some of that wax still on ? This is something I've COMPLETLY hypothosized in my freaky brain, so don't flame me for spreading false info or anything. I'm just speculating.
My guess is it was encased (as a lucky penny, etc.) and then became severly worn. The wear may have been from a tumbler but who knows? It just a guess.
I want to say severe saltwater and sand wear, I've found coins on the beack like this worn down to a nub.
Ok, I got another odd possibility for you. Perhaps the cent was in a bezel and was a pendant or a keychain ? Just another thought.
On page 359 of "The Error Coin Encyclopedia" by Marolis and Weinberg, there is a lincoln that looks exactly like yours (minus the pie crust). Caused by an acid bath gone on for too long. If this is the case, the diameter of your cent should be SLIGHTLY smaller than a normal one and of course, it will weigh less than a normal one - you might need a very accurate scale to measure that.
