Wartime Cents-ID Markers For Reprocessing

I have a set of war cents that came from my grandmother’s small collection I have wondered about. What are the schematics to ID a reprocessed cent? To me war cents that are dull in appearance are more likely a genuine surface. The reprocessed cents to me are always too mirror like. However, that in itself is woefully short of a positive ID. What are the true identifiers of a reprocessed war cent?

 

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I’ve found they either look way too shiny, almost like a bright metallic stainless steel colored spray paint, or a completely dull flat grey while appearing uncirculated. No luster present despite looking very clean.

Another dead giveaway is the edges... even with clean original surfaces, the edges usually show some dark uneven spots/splotches.

An unaltered uncirculated steel cent will usually still have cartwheel luster, something the reprocessed ones clearly lack.

 

The cartwheel luster.... That would be the key, wouldn’t it?

 

I’m sure it can also fade from the environment like any original coin, but it’s one ID for sure. If it looks uncirculated on marks, the edges are competely grey/silver, and it has zero cartwheel luster, I call it reprocessed.

The color is also a big one- The ones that haven’t messed with usually have a specific shade of light grey that doesn’t survive accurately after it has been recoated.

Here’s the one in my album:

 

Yes sir. That defines it 100% for me. Thanks

 

The 1943 steel cents were punched from zinc plated steel.
The original coins will have no zinc plate on the edges, while
reprocessed coins will have zinc plated edges.

 

Perfect. Which would also explain why those cents tended to corrode from the edges inward. Thanks.

 

Randy, there was an excellent NGC article recently about this subject. Take a look at their descriptions here: https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/6810/counterfeit-detection-september-2018/

 

Plating often makes the details very mushy and there are usually gas bubbles trapped on the coin.

 

That article shows exactly the color difference I’m talking about between the two.

 

Excellent article. And it comes back to the flow lines in my mind. Can’t hide that. And grandma’s war cents are reprocessed.

 

DDR-003. 3-R-ll-C+Vl stage E

 

If I’m not mistaken, wouldn’t the reprocessed coins lack (under magnification) any of the crucial flow lines characteristic of original uncirculated coins?

I can see the metal flow on the example provided by Circ.


ETA: I just realized the above question was addressed in the first couple paragraphs in the article Jason provided.

 

Impressive as always, Paddy! Thank you! I saw die cracks but I hadn’t noticed the doubling on the letters. Cool.

 

That's a easy one....see that big hunk of die chip sitting on the "T" upright? Dead give away the obv. Die crack and of course doubling on letters. Nice coin the variety makes it nicer!

 

You just can't help yourself can you?

 

No....I have this condition... H.A.S LLC