Penny Question 1 1

[Chris Mikesh]

Hi,

A 1955D Wheat Penny.  Not in great condition, but I noticed that the reverse side of the coin is about 5 degrees rotated (not off center) clockwise compared to the obverse.  (Or 185 degrees to the purist.)  But I think you get what I mean.    By comparison, 1918, 1953, and even 1943 (Steel) are lined up.

I had always 'assumed' both sides would be equal in degrees.  I also assume this is nothing special because I don't see anything written about this 'anomaly'. (It's a penny...who cares?)  Any thought or comments.

God Bless,

Chris

[VKurtB]

On 10/18/2021 at 9:51 PM, Chris Mikesh said:

Hi,

A 1955D Wheat Penny.  Not in great condition, but I noticed that the reverse side of the coin is about 5 degrees rotated (not off center) clockwise compared to the obverse.  (Or 185 degrees to the purist.)  But I think you get what I mean.    By comparison, 1918, 1953, and even 1943 (Steel) are lined up.

I had always 'assumed' both sides would be equal in degrees.  I also assume this is nothing special because I don't see anything written about this 'anomaly'. (It's a penny...who cares?)  Any thought or comments.

God Bless,

Chris

This is quite common in earlier years, not so much by 1955, but its magnitude is not enough to draw a premium. There is one commemorative, the 1936-D version of the California Pacific International Exhibition half dollar (aka San Diego) that literally every one is about 10-12 degrees “out of plumb”.

[Chris Mikesh]

Thanks.    I was digging in the change bucket and set it aside to clean, (soap and water) and noticed it.  It just seemed unusual.

I just notice you have 4000+ posts.  Cool.  Thanks for sharing your experience.

God Bless,

Chris

[GBrad]

On 10/18/2021 at 11:08 PM, Chris Mikesh said:

Thanks.    I was digging in the change bucket and set it aside to clean, (soap and water) and noticed it.  It just seemed unusual.

 

Uh..... I wouldn't recommend soap and water for cleaning any coins especially a copper cent.  Just FYI.

[RWB]

Minor rotations, such as you describe, are common and have no added value.

[Chris Mikesh]

Hey... You guys are awesome.  Thank you for the feedback.

GBrad: Your comment on not using soap and water surprised me.  Please don't read anything negative into it - it's just that I was 'told' that is the least destructive way of cleaning most coins.  So, I'm going to post a commonly asked question in another chat: How do most of the guys clean coins?  I'd appreciate your (and anyone's) feedback on that.

GB,

Chris

[GBrad]

On 10/19/2021 at 2:01 PM, Chris Mikesh said:

Hey... You guys are awesome.  Thank you for the feedback.

GBrad: Your comment on not using soap and water surprised me.  Please don't read anything negative into it - it's just that I was 'told' that is the least destructive way of cleaning most coins.  So, I'm going to post a commonly asked question in another chat: How do most of the guys clean coins?  I'd appreciate your (and anyone's) feedback on that.

GB,

Chris

Pure Acetone is the preferred method for removing stuff off of a copper Lincoln.  Not saying that soap and water is going to hurt a copper coin that is of no real value, or if it's just  a beat up old coin and you need to see the date or mm or whatever......, if you intend on just keeping for yourself in an album or something.  But, if it's a nice Red copper then I would highly recommend using only Acetone, soaking or dipping depending on your objective, and then rinse with distilled water.  It's a pretty much time tested way of cleaning copper and is widely accepted and safe.

[JKK]

The big mistake comes in novices cleaning coins at all. They think that surely, if they make it nice and shiny, it'll be more beautiful and valuable. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Everyone tries to tell them not to clean them at all, and they just ignore it. They think that somehow the advice doesn't apply to them.

If there are still questions in your mind, my advice is Do Not Clean Your Coins. Remember, you can always clean them after you've been a collector twenty years; if they are crudulated, they will still be crudulated. You can always do it; you can never undo it.

Oh, and don't clean the coins, in case the advice seemed uncertain or wishy-washy.

Serious collectors read posts by novices asserting plans to clean their coins, and we shrug sadly that a bunch more otherwise okay coins are about to be destroyed for no good reason, added to the mountains of ruined coins that already plague the hobby.

By the way, I recommend against cleaning the coins.

[GBrad]

On 10/19/2021 at 4:03 PM, JKK said:

The big mistake comes in novices cleaning coins at all. They think that surely, if they make it nice and shiny, it'll be more beautiful and valuable. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Everyone tries to tell them not to clean them at all, and they just ignore it. They think that somehow the advice doesn't apply to them.

If there are still questions in your mind, my advice is Do Not Clean Your Coins. Remember, you can always clean them after you've been a collector twenty years; if they are crudulated, they will still be crudulated. You can always do it; you can never undo it.

Oh, and don't clean the coins, in case the advice seemed uncertain or wishy-washy.

Serious collectors read posts by novices asserting plans to clean their coins, and we shrug sadly that a bunch more otherwise okay coins are about to be destroyed for no good reason, added to the mountains of ruined coins that already plague the hobby.

By the way, I recommend against cleaning the coins.

For the record, even though I commented on using Acetone to remove junk or gunk on a copper coin, I also firmly believe that coins should not be cleaned.  The only time I have attempted to remove debris from a coin was in the effort to either see the date and/or mm on a coin, or in the event I believed it to be an error or variety and I needed to remove years of gunk and buildup from certain areas just to be able to confirm, or deny, the criteria I just mentioned.  Other than that, I too am in the camp of leaving them alone and NOT cleaning them.  I just wanted to set "my" record straight in that I am not advocating, whatsoever, cleaning your coins. 

[Coinbuf]

Guy walks into a bar and says "how do I make $100 cleaning and selling rare coins?"   The bartender replies "start with $1,000 worth of rare coins".   True story.