Very new to NGC 0

[anixi]

Hello,

I'm Michael. I've just been introduced to coin errors. I've only just started, and am in the US. I'm looking mostly as mint errors on small change, especially pennies.

I've attached a photo of my first find, a 1971 Lincoln Memorial penny. Please let me know what you think.

thanks,

[J P M]

On 1/10/2022 at 7:33 PM, anixi said:

Hello,

I'm Michael. I've just been introduced to coin errors. I've only just started, and am in the US. I'm looking mostly as mint errors on small change, especially pennies.

I've attached a photo of my first find, a 1971 Lincoln Memorial penny. Please let me know what you think.

thanks,

Welcome anixi, It looks to me you have what we call a piece of displaced metal embedded in the coin. Not really a error. Sorry

[Mohawk]

Hello and Welcome!!!

Well, I'm with JP......your coin is just damaged and not a true error.  If you're interested in errors, this is a great site for you to check out.  It has a ton of good information:

https://www.error-ref.com/

Good luck!

[anixi]

On 1/10/2022 at 4:40 PM, J P Mashoke said:

Welcome anixi, It looks to me you have what we call a piece of displaced metal embedded in the coin. Not really a error. Sorry

It appears that it's the same metal that the coin was minted with in the first place. It looks like it came from the mint this way to me.

[J P M]

On 1/10/2022 at 7:45 PM, anixi said:

It appears that it's the same metal that the coin was minted with in the first place. It looks like it came from the mint this way to me.

Yes it looks like something sharp hit the roof and pealed some of the copper back and it got pressed back into the coin on a angle. 

Edited January 11, 2022 by J P Mashoke

[Mohawk]

On 1/10/2022 at 7:48 PM, J P Mashoke said:

Yes it looks like something sharp hit the roof and pealed some of the copper back and it got pressed back into the coin on a angle

Yep...there also appears to be a gouge under the r and i in "America", which could be another source of the raised metal.  Something definitely hit the coin and damaged it.

[anixi]

I've taken another photo, alas with a low quality macro lens.

[Mohawk]

Well.....that picture doesn't help me much, personally.  It might be different for someone else.  However, from what I can make out, I think JP is dead on.....displaced metal and damage.

[Woods020]

It appears to be a die chip to me. They are somewhat common and provide no additional value. This occurs when the die used to strike the coin has small chips and breaks over time with use. It may be PMD but I don’t see enough metal displaced anywhere to account for that. 
 

This is where seeing it in hand would make all the difference. Pictures can only do so much. And I’m not knocking your pics they are actually good comparatively. 

Edited January 11, 2022 by Woods020

[Woods020]

I went a put this on my computer screen so my crappy eyes could see it better. I do see the area under IC. 
 

Michael is that a depression or a stain?

Even if it is a depression it’s curious. It appears to go all the way to the letters and seemingly under them. So I still wonder if it is damage, which it likely is. 

[Coinbuf]

The line from the roof to "R" appears to be raised in the tilted photo; and while I cannot say with 100% certainty from your photos it could be a minor die crack.   It may also be a minor die chip or simple post mint damage.   Die breaks and the resulting cracks are interesting however they seldom add much value to a coin unless really unusual or significant.   Same thing for die chips, can sometimes be interesting but they are a common minting defect and again very seldom add any value.

If you have been watching the youtube videos on how to get rich from finding errors in pocket change I'm sorry to inform you that most of that is hype and BS.   Yes every now and then an error or variety is found searching rolls or change, however most are very minor and have little to no value.   Finding one of the tiny handful that do have some value does not happen randomly or quickly, if it were that easy we'd all be millionaires.   Most major errors are funneled out to specialty dealers via the channels they have cultivated.

I'm not trying to discourage you from searching just giving you the true facts that you may not have been given if you have watched the get rich quick videos.   I hope that someday you do find a cool error, but you should prepare yourself for far more disappointment than elation.

[Just Bob]

On 1/10/2022 at 8:56 PM, Coinbuf said:

If you have been watching the youtube videos on how to get rich from finding errors in pocket change I'm sorry to inform you that most of that is hype and BS.   Yes every now and then an error or variety is found searching rolls or change, however most are very minor and have little to no value.   Finding one of the tiny handful that do have some value does not happen randomly or quickly, if it were that easy we'd all be millionaires.   Most major errors are funneled out to specialty dealers via the channels they have cultivated.

I'm not trying to discourage you from searching just giving you the true facts that you may not have been given if you have watched the get rich quick videos.   I hope that someday you do find a cool error, but you should prepare yourself for far more disappointment than elation.

Read this part several times. Lots of truth in here.

[Woods020]

On 1/10/2022 at 8:56 PM, Coinbuf said:

The line from the roof to "R" appears to be raised in the tilted photo; and while I cannot say with 100% certainty from your photos it could be a minor die crack.   It may also be a minor die chip or simple post mint damage.   Die breaks and the resulting cracks are interesting however they seldom add much value to a coin unless really unusual or significant.   Same thing for die chips, can sometimes be interesting but they are a common minting defect and again very seldom add any value.

If you have been watching the youtube videos on how to get rich from finding errors in pocket change I'm sorry to inform you that most of that is hype and BS.   Yes every now and then an error or variety is found searching rolls or change, however most are very minor and have little to no value.   Finding one of the tiny handful that do have some value does not happen randomly or quickly, if it were that easy we'd all be millionaires.   Most major errors are funneled out to specialty dealers via the channels they have cultivated.

I'm not trying to discourage you from searching just giving you the true facts that you may not have been given if you have watched the get rich quick videos.   I hope that someday you do find a cool error, but you should prepare yourself for far more disappointment than elation.

Agreed. I said chip but crack is more accurate. Especially considering it’s in a weak point at the corner of the device. 

[The Neophyte Numismatist]

I agree with the other folks.  This is a small die crack.  I call this this the “lightning strike” crack, and it is pretty common at the corners of the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse.  These are fun to save and you can put together quite a few examples pretty easily if you look close at your change.

The “cracked head” and “spike head” are other common (but interesting) die cracks on the obverse portrait.

None of the die cracks are super valuable.  However, they are interesting, teach you some about the minting process, and are very inexpensive to save/study.

Edited January 11, 2022 by The Neophyte Numismatist

[anixi]

Thanks for the input!