1990 no S lincoln

[ashott-migration]

TO anyone who can help I have SEVERAL Lincoln one cent pieces the I am sure have no s from the year 1990 and I am wondering if there is anywhere other than under the year that I should be looking and how I can clean them w/o having to send them off to check for sure they are what they are......thanks

[TomB]

The 1990 no S Lincoln cents that are valuable were only available in US Mint issued proof sets. Regular Lincoln cents made in Philadelphia for circulation, almost seven billion of them, will not have an S on them, either. These are worth only one cent.

 

By the way, if you clean your coins, especially copper, you will generally lose about 90% of their value.

[ashott-migration]

OK thanks for the help, I had just read elsewhere on some obscure engine search that the proofs can get mixed up in the regular circulation and so I thought maybe I would check. Are the Philadelphia proofs supposed to have a P on them? I am glad you told me about the cleaning thing. Is there any way I would be able to tell if it was a mixed up proof or is it a hopeless case?

[cladking]

It can get pretty tough to tell with some of the cents from that era. Proofs will usually have square rims and highly reflective surfaces. There is usually full detail and all the letters will have fully rounded tops even around the periphery. Most proof 1990 cents will have the cameo effect where the design appears to be frosted. The proofs were made in San Francisco but a few that went into regular and prestige proof sets were struck from a die without the mintmark in error.

 

It gets a little complicated because there are some extremely high grade business strikes from Philadelphia which appear very proof like. Few of these will be cameo and those that are aren't nearly so closely grained as the San Francisco issues. It is highly improbable that such a coin or the proof would appear in circulation. Very high grade business strikes are normally found only in mint sets.

[TomB]

Proof coinage issued by the US Mint is sold in hard, plastic cases about the size of a traditional paperback book. These sets contain one of each denomination minted during that year.

 

It is possible that some proof coins can be spent. This might happen by accident if someone opened up their set and was not paying attention to what they are doing. Alternatively, I believe it is much more common for proof coins to be spent after they are stolen; usually stolen by the child or sibling of a coin collector.

 

There has been at least one seller on ebay lately trying to sell people common 1990 Lincoln cents as the rare 1990 no S Lincoln cent. They have had some success selling these coins, worth one cent each, for several hundred dollars, and that is just amazing.

 

To find out what a proof Lincoln cent looks like you might want to go to the US Mint web site, I am sure they will have pictures of what proof coinage should look like. Lastly, there are no proof coins made in Philadelphia, all the coins in the proof sets are made in San Francisco.

[ashott-migration]

Thank you so much for your help I really really appreciate it. I would definately hate to be someone w/o the extra knowledge selling it on e-bay. Scams really make me mad........thanks again!!!!

[ashott-migration]

I also want to ask about another penny I have that is a 1975 that has the state of Texas stamped on it at the end of the word trust and in front of Lincolns face....and can I send pictures of the penny I do have that I think looks "frosted"?

[DaveG]

Cents with images of the states on them are considered novelties by most collectors.

 

Sets of cents with each state stamped on a coin are available, as are cents with JFK's head on them (facing Lincoln). These coins are altered by novelty companies after they have left the Mint.

[ashott-migration]

what is the deal with 1990-D?

[ashott-migration]

i guess I should actually ask what does the D stand for on different coins.....I have seen many years with them and many w/o them

[Oldtrader3]

I might suggest buying a book or two on your area of interest or coin collecting in general. American Numismatic Rarities (Q. David Bowers at ANR has written many) and other coin companies sell many different titles for all interest levels. Welcome and good luck with your hobby.

[ashott-migration]

I guess instead of aggrivating you guys ....thanks for all the help, I realy appreciate the ones that did!

[Wihlborg]

Modern U.S. coins are minted at four different mints located around the country. The main U.S. mint is located in Philadelphia, PA. The other three mints are called branch mints and are located in Denver, CO, San Francisco, CA, and West Point, NY.

 

Modern coins that are made for circulation are primarily made at the main mint in Philadelphia and the branch mint at Denver. Proof coins are primarily made at the San Francisco branch mint, and the West Point branch mint primarily makes bullion coins.

 

The coins made at the main mint in Philadelphia do not have a mint mark added to them unless they are special commemorative issues, but the coins minted at the branch mints do. This mint mark is the first initial of the branch mint that the coin was made at. The D you see on your coin is the initial for Denver, the location of the mint where the coin was made.

 

So, on modern coins you may find coins with no mint mark, or coins with an added P, D, S, or W depending upon where and for what purpose the coin was minted.

 

Hope this helps.

 

John

[TomB]

Don't worry about aggravating us, part of the reason we read these boards is to be able to help people who have questions about coinage.

 

I think what OT3 was getting at, when he suggested you look at some books, is that there are so many exceptions to each rule in US coins that it might sound like we are contradicting ourselves in every other post. An excellent book, which most every coin collector owns at least one copy of, is known as the Red Book. It has this name because it's cover is red. This book should be available at any coin shop, can be borrowed from most any public library and is sold at the larger book chains such as Borders. A nice thing about going to Borders is that you can sit in one of their chairs and read the book for an hour or two without buying it. Anyway, the Red Book gives mintage information, basic pricing information, how to grade coins, full color pictures of most US coins, the history of US coins and many other things. For about $15 you get a heck of a lot of information.

 

An example of a potential contradiction in what we have already told you is that Whilborg wrote that Philadelphia coins have no P on them, unless they are special commemoratives. He must have been thinking about Lincoln cents, because Lincoln cents are the only US denomination that will have no P on it. Quarters, dimes, nickels and so on will have a P on them. I don't know why they don't put the P on Lincoln cents, it isn't consistent. Also, this P was not added to our coins until about 1979, although nickels made from 1942-1945 will have the P on the reverse. So, there are many little oddities about US coins.

 

Have fun!

[Oldtrader3]

I wasn't trying to shut you down. Tom is often more tactful than I am. You can order or buy the "The Official Red Book A Guide Book of US Coins", in softcover for about $10.00. There is lots of information, including mintages, issues, errors, over-dates etc. However, coin pricing in the Red Book is always outdated. Despite this, it is a great place to start.

 

Then you can branch off into areas that interest you. You may also want attend some coin shows in your area and observe.

[Wihlborg]

Tom,

 

You are absolutely correct. I was thinking about the cents when I made the statement about the P not being on the coins and failed to mention that the P mint mark IS added to the other denominations. Oh, the pitfalls of a hastily written reply!

 

Thanks for correcting my mistake.

 

John

[EZ_E]

Don't worry about aggravating us, part of the reason we read these boards is to be able to help people who have questions about coinage.

 

 

Besides, with TomB, EVP, Hoot and the like, we're used to the aggravation anyway.

 

 

p.s. The reason that there is no "P" on the cents is because they are occasionally produced at the West Point mint. The US Mint does not want to make a distinction in the production facility since the extra production is just to help pick up the slack in Philadelphia.

[ashott-migration]

Tom, Wihlborg, and OT3,

Thank you for the valuable information. I have always been interested in coinage and collecting antiques and old things(classic coca cola is my favorite,bottles is another). OT3 I was a little dissapointed last night in the thread you sent me as I was not sure where to start and if there really is a good place. But everyone has ways of expressing themselves sometimes tactful ,sometimes not and everyone has opinions (they are like !@&holes you know) ; ) in saying that please do not be offended. I have just recently had time to actually devote to reading up and asking questions(as I am quite new to the subject). I really appreciate all the help in answering questions and giving me places to look. Thank again gentlmen! I am having issues finding a good coin store or actual place(building) as the ones listed are in Greensboro and Charlotte and too far into VA. So any help would be most appreciated! I am in the RDU area.

-ashley

[ashott-migration]

all I can say EZ_E is YOUR DOG IS HUGE!!!!! haha!

[EZ_E]

all I can say EZ_E is YOUR DOG IS HUGE!!!!! haha!

 

Truer words have ne'er been spoken: he is a HUGE pain in the butt...but I love 'im regardless.

 

And, I'm planning on getting an English Mastiff within the next year. There once was one in England that weighed 330 lbs!

[ashott-migration]

WOW 330 lbs I can't believe it. We have a Black Lab the is a quarter the size of him he is beautiful though ..............

[EZ_E]

Actually, Caleb, my St. Bernard is but 150 lbs. He's a big dog but the picture's perspective makes him appear larger than he actually is.

 

The average English Mastiff is 200 lbs but the record was 330 lbs.

 

p.s. And no! I'm not overcompensating for the lack of something else.

[ashott-migration]

hehe I never insinuated : ) What kind of dog is the grey one at the edge of the pic?

[EZ_E]

The other dog is a Weimerwaner. It belonged to a neighbor in Maine when I was doing a cat scan assignment there. Poor thing died of cancer, though.

[michael]

caleb is a good dog

 

he is really human in a dogs coat

 

and he needs good foods and special treatment

[EZ_E]

Caleb is my Road Dog . He's been everywhere with me over the past 6 years.

[ashott-migration]

I take it that the "monster" in the pic is Caleb? I can see where he would be good to travel with !!!!!

[ashott-migration]

and he is big enough to be a dog ina human's coat lmao!!!