Oldhoopster

Lots of scratches and dings due to circulation. The key is understanding the minting and die making process and knowing that your coin could not have left the mint looking like that. Coins are struck with tons of force that cause the metal to flow. This gets rid of nearly all the marks left on the planchet. Also, the marks are recessed on the coin, which means the would have to be raised if the were on the die. That won't happen on a die. Even if the die breaks or chips during product ion, it won't look like your coin. Here is a video from the mint. Learning about the minting process takes time but is well worth it if you want to identify error coins

It has the Look of a poorly cast fake.

@proud potato Is this related to numismatics?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a coin certified for any reason whatsoever, assuming you are aware of the costs, benefits, and drawbacks (which you obviously are). Edit to add: IMO

Yes, but it's probably going to cost you $60+ per coin (a little less if you send multiple coins). AT that price, you'll want to be darn sure that you have something, or you'll just be throwing money away. While it can happen, the chances of finding of finding an off composition planchet is extremely rare. Finding multiple? Well, let's just say that winning the lottery may be easier. The handheld XRF used by the Jewelers and "We buy gold" places would be able to determine very quickly if you have the standard 75%Cu25%Ni planchet or the war nickel comp.

Your coin suffered a lot of damage during it's life. Sorry, but it's not a lamination error

The question you should be asking is "How can this occur during during the minting or die making process?" The answer is - It Can't. Mottos aren't added to individual dies (at least not since the first half of the 1800's). Working dies are used to strike the coins. Working dies are made using working hubs. Working hubs are made using a master die. And a Master die is made from a master hub. The master hub has all of the lettering, so for the "I" to be crooked, it would have to be crooked on the master hub, which means all dies would have this anomaly. Sorry, but your coin suffered damage after it left the mint, just as others have posted. Possibly from a wrapper crimping device, but who knows. One thing we do know is that this couldn't happen at the mint

@Grant Gerlinger This isn't the doubling that's caused by the working hub shifting during the manufacture of the working die. This is caused by the date being punched twice into the die. RPDs can be found on a few 2 cent pieces and Shield nickels from this time period Hope this helps

So are you saying that if I decide to collect Roosters, I can get a job on the Weather Channel as a tornado expert? Still trying to figure out how Roosters relate to forks and walls, but when it comes to me, I'll offer a translation to for the rest of the great unwashed masses that populate this site I'm glad you're here to keep everybody from being confused.

You can see some very nice Lincoln Cents on the NGC explorer page. https://www.ngccoin.com/coin-explorer/lincoln-cents-memorial-reverse-1959-2008-pscid-100

Translation = "Just ignore him". Is that correct?

It looks like the mm took a hit after it reached circulation. Here are some sites that list Repunched mintmarks (RPMs). Click on the RPM tabs to see what they actually look like www.varietyvista.com www.doubleddie.com I can't tell for certain from your pics, but the extra outline is likely to be mechanical doubling (also called strike or machine doubling). This is not true doubling and adds no additional value. The doubleddie.com site has a tab called "Worthless Doubling" that provides an excellent explanation. BTW: You sound like you're new to collecting. Here is some info to help clarify things. Coins are struck, not printed (therefore, an error is not a misprint). Hope this helps

Maybe take it from another prospective. What would you say to an experienced numismatist that was interested in antique sterling? Assuming they can figure out the basics like looking up hallmarks, understand that counterfeits exist, and know about cleaning, patination, silver manufacturing, etc Would you recommend they start with higher End items with the potential risks of not understanding the market, overpaying, buying counterfeits/repaired/ damaged or starting out with a lower valued series, learn the hobby, and reduce the risk of being cheated? There are plus and minuses to each approach. I think it also depends what you want out if numismatics. Investment? The enjoyment of searching for coins to complete a set? Recognition/competition from as the registry sets? History? Building knowledge? Lots of different ways you can go and each could have different recommendations.

Filled die due to a Light layer of grease.

I think I see 6 flattened S mintmarks

Nice find. Sending it in for grading would cost significantly more than it's worth. It will do nicely in a 2x2/flip. If possible, I would give it a short acetone soak and thorough rinse to get rid of any oils from your fingers so you don't end up with an ugly fingerprint in the future.

In regards to your title: Conservation, I wouldn't bother. However, if you must, try acetone then xylene.

Too Much Information, IMO,

Thanks. I haven't been active here for that long and don't know the players without a program (or at least those I don't recognize from other forums). Appreciate the feedback. @CajunJosh sorry that I can't add anything additional to the real vs fake discussion, but you did get feedback from some very knowledgeable and experienced numismatists (and a few of QA's "armchair experts" as well). Please post the results when it gets back. While Mr. Feld brought up questionable authenticity only as a possibility, not a certainty, something caught his eye that I missed and I think many of us can learn from it once you have the results (both for cleaning and authenticity)

Wow, I never thought of Mr. Feld and Mr. Burdette being part of the “armchair expert” crowd. It would really be interesting what experience/qualifications are required to make it into your True Expert category? I hope you were just making a humorous statement and not discounting their experience.

It looks like you have some basic coins that are interesting, but not necessarily rare. I would recommend buying a copy of "A Guide Book of United States Coins". It's published yearly by Whitman. The prices may not truly reflect what you can get if you sell them to a dealer, but it will give you a good indication which ones are common and which ones may have additional collector value. It also has some basic grading info, mintages, silver content, and interesting historical information. The book is only $10-15. You can use it to sort out which ones are worth melt value, which are better dates, and which ones are common. That should narrow down the number of coins that may be worth posting for more info. Hope this helps

Sorry, but it's just some type of post mint plating or discoloration due to environmental exposure. It's not an error. You can see where the plating/discoloration has worn off on the high points on the reverse Edit to add: Your Morgan is made from 90% silver. The clad layers are an alloy of 75% copper 25% nickel, so chemical reactions that cause toning would be different.

Sorry, it is a common quarter that is only worth 25 cents. You can still find them in circulation in the US. It is not worth spending money to have it graded. Google translate: Lo sentimos, es un cuarto común que solo vale 25 centavos. Todavía puede encontrarlos en circulación en los EE. UU. No vale la pena gastar dinero para calificarlo.

Why do you believe it's an SMS set?

Weight and magnetism are not guarantees of authenticity I can't see enough to offer an opinion, but you should be aware that Chinese copies are available. https://m.aliexpress.com/wholesale/1944+steel+penny.html?channel=direct&keywords=1944+steel+penny&catId=0&initiative_id=AS_20210502071201&origin=y&SearchText=1944+steel+penny While the pics have copy stamped on the coin to comply with US laws, the manufacturer in China may skip this step on production items. Provenance is also an important clue. If you recently purchased it on eBay/etsy/Craigslist, I wouldn't be too optimistic. Another good way to check is search the web for pics of authentic examples in NGC or PCGS holders and compare the characteristics. Finally, you mentioned you lived in Dallas. Heritage Auctions is well known for numismatics and are in the Dallas metro area