1976 D off-metal cent?? Help

[joes2001]

Hello,

I got this cent from an antique market. The dealer didn't know much about coins so i got it for a dollar. I didn't even ask where he got it. It was in a little zip-lock bag with a question mark on it, which was in a box with other coins he was selling. I've seen pics of other cents, like a 1960 one, that was professionally graded and silver colored like this one. I have seen re-plated steel cents of 1943 and this one doesn't give off the impression of being like that, at least to me. Please tell me if it is worth grading or not. The pics i'll post don't really show off it's silver color but it indeed has it in person. In two of the pics, i put a replated zinc one to the left. On another, there's a mint steel cent in a plastic holder to the left.

 

cent

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know if these images will display. I'm using a mac and don't know how to put an image for you all. Let me know.

[Raisethis2]

No images, sorry.

[CaptHenway]

No Pictures. Try again.

 

FWIW, back in 1976, when I was working for Coin World, we started getting reports of a number of 1976 cents (can't remember the mint mark) that were red in color except where the red had worn off the high points, revealing a grey color underneath. Upon investigation we discovered that a large grocery chain (pretty sure it was A&P) had been having a "Red Cent Sale" in its stores in several states, and as part of the promotion they were giving out new cents that had been plated red. Apparently the red did not stick well, so they were plated with something grey first. It became quite a nuisance.

 

Does that sound like what you have?

 

TD

[Conder101]

Always the first question in a case like this, What does it weigh, in grams, to two decimal places.

[johnny9434]

no images.

[joes2001]

Hi. Sorry, i don't have a scale for coins. I have one i use for shipping things on ebay but i'm sure it wont work for a coin. Anyways, the coin stumped a dealer i showed it to. He looked at it carefully and said he's really not the person to ask, but he also said that it didn't give him the impression like other plated 1943 cents do. I'm quite skeptical myself, but you never know. I'm very sorry I can't get photos on here. Does anyone know how i can do it easily? It's simple on ebay, but i don't think it's like that on here.

[joes2001]

No, not really. It's not red, and it doesn't look like a typical silver plated coin. It looks a lot like a genuine steel cent from 43. But maybe it's just a very nicely plated one. I read somewhere to check the edges in cases of replating with the 43 cents because genuine ones are never shiney on the edges but replated ones are. On the 76 d i have, it's the same color as on the reverse and obverse. I've been collecting seriously for almost 3 years, have read over 20 books on coins, keep up with magazines, etc., and it stumps me. I guess i'll have to wait until the next big coin show and ask around there.

[joes2001]

update: I had this coin looked at by the bigwig Fred Weinberg at a coin show and after a few seconds he said that it wasn't genuine. I don't know how he figured this, but his word is better than mine.