Question for David Lange or anyone else who might know

[brian0918-migration]

I sent this in a PM to David Lange, but figured someone else might know as well.

 

In the March 2004 USA Coin Album, he talked about two new master hubs being created in 1974 for the Lincoln cents, which he called "Large Date" and "Small Date", for the three different issues (plain, D, and S).

 

Would anyone be able to give an estimate of how many coins in circulation were minted with the first hub, called "Large Date"? More specifically, how many were minted with the first hub for each of the three different mint marks?

 

How do these numbers compare to how many Lincoln cents were minted in 1974?

 

 

Thanks.

[cladking]

I didn't pay enough attention to these until long after issue so can't help much with the numbers except to say I've read that none are very scarce and account for at least about a quarter of mintage for each. There are a couple of points though which are rarely made with these though: None of the small dates appear in mint sets and large percentages of the San Francisco issue were mixed in with the other mint marks to discourage hoarding of them. This means that relatively few solid date S rolls exist.

 

These are pretty dramatic varieties and deserve much more recognition than they recieve.

[brian0918-migration]

Well, IIRC, the Large Date hub was used first, then the Small Date replaced it. So, any idea for what periods of time each were used in producing the 1974 cents?

[warlock-migration]

Can anyone post pictures detailing the differences in the varieties for 1974 cents?

[HaydenTubbs]

Well since we are on the topic of 1974 cents:

Were the 1974 aluminum cents struck from specially prepared dies,or normal production dies as used on the copper cents of that year?

[DWLange]

The Large Date obverse hub seems to have been prepared in anticipation of aluminum cents, as all of these seen are from this hub. When it was decided that the normal composition would continue, the Mint appears to have reverted to a more conventional hub, the Small Date obverse.

 

The easiest way to spot the Large Date is that the date is closer to the border, and this is the reason for calling it "Large Date." In fact, the date is not noticeably larger but, because the entire design is reproduced slightly larger overall, this places the numeral 4 closer to the border. Small Date cents of 1974 look exactly like all the cents of 1975-81, which utilized the same obverse hub.

 

There are photos of all six 1974 cents in my book The Complete Guide to Lincoln Cents, but I don't have electronic images that I can post here.

[warlock-migration]

Thanks for the info, I guess I need to grab a copy of your book....sounds like a good one.

 

I heard about the 1974 varieties years ago.....I still don't see many people collecting them though.....why do you think this is? I see a lot of collectors trying to get all the 1982 varieties though....to complete sets I guess.........but shouldn't the 1974 varieties also be collectable in sets? Or maybe not because there is no composition change? Seems strange.....

[DWLange]

It's all about marketing. Varieties become popular only when someone promotes them with a national advertising campaign. The six varieties of 1974 cents are sufficiently available that this could be done. Not being a dealer in coins, I merely reported what I knew so that collectors could decide for themselves whether to add them to their sets.

 

I recommend that anyone seriously interested in Lincoln Cents acquire them now while dealers are unaware. Some promoter is bound to discover this opportunity and make contrived rarities out of one or more of the six varieties.

[Oldtrader3]

Excuse my ignorance again. I never knew that a coin had to be available in sufficient quantities to be promoted by dealers in order to be designated as a "Variety". Silly me, I always thought that "varieties" were all about scarcity (like the pop. 1, NGC, AU58, 1845-horiz O/O SL Half "variety" that I once owned)! The dealer who made that half variety listing only needed a one example to get a variety designation. Who did he know?

 

I guess that is why the Type I obverse, 1860-61 Seated Dime is not a "variety", because there are not sufficient quantities for some big name dealer to promote and make money on them, or maybe the "right" dealer has not pushed it's inclusion. Somehow the logic of all this escapes me or leaves me cold. I just can't decide which! This is a legitimate variety that is very scarce in higher grades. I guess after 40 years of collecting, that I am still pretty naive about the coin industry? As my daughter would say: Duh, it's about money, stupid, wake up Dad!

[warlock-migration]

David,

 

Got your book today....love it.....thanks for writing it.

[Architecht]

Welcome to the boards, warlock.