I was looking to purchase this cent but the photos made me reconsider. Either the cent is very well photographed and shows ALL the details or is it something else?
I see die deterioration looking at the metal flow. Also those hits on the breast and left field would make me stay away from this 1923 cent. And judging by the dirt around some of the lettering I would say it was cleaned also. Your choice though.
Yeah - I just see "metal flow" (lines) from a semi worn die having to labor to push the metal away from the devices (raised portions of the coin?)
Although under 10x mag I haven't seen the flow lines that pronounced on copper pennies. Still not anything to jump up and down about.
I don't collect Lincoln's, but I think XF is a stretch. The appearance of corrosion on the reverse leads me to believe that it has been cleaned. I'd pass unless you really need it and the price is right. Chris
Not likely to see it on the new zinc Lincolns, more likely to see plating bubbles and bursts, more likely to see it on pre-1982 95% copper cents.
Just a question - are the penny zinc plantchets struck then plated or are the zinc planchets plated and then struck - seems if they are thinly copper plated the zinc would show through in certain wear areas???
VF30, good dies and bad strike, the ear is its weakest link, IMO. But those distraction marks completely kills it. Not worth it.
Unfortunately what you learned is wrong. The zinc is rolled into strips, the blanks are punched from it, the edges are upset, then they are plated (barrel plated in a rotating barrel which tumbles the planchets during the plating process). The last step is striking. That is why split plate "doubling" exists. Sometimes during the striking the metal movement exceeds the stretching ability of the copper plating and it splits open exposing the zinc.