Fake? 0

[Keith Dee]

I only have 2 more wheats to go and I’m done with my set 1909-1971. Of course those two will probably take me longer then the whole set to acquire. The 1909-S VDB and the 1922 No D. This one isn’t as important but my folder has a spot for it so I must fill it😂 I came across this 1922 on auction and am very weary of counterfeits. This one has a very strong reverse but what’s got me perplexed is that last 2. It seems to be stronger then the other numbers. Also I zoomed in where the D might be and there’s a Circular spot in the medal as if someone filled it in and smoothed it out. Is this possible to add a number like that after you ground down the D and possibly some of that last 2? It’s just weird because it looks nothing like the other three and most 1922 No D’s and weak D’s I’ve seen that last 2 is almost faint as being part of the error on why the D is missing. 

[Keith Dee]

Oh and the sellers starting bid is $1000😂 I’m definitely not buying either way especially with it not even being authenticated and labeled as such.

[Coinbuf]

A correct 1922 no D strong reverse will have the second 2 struck better than the other numbers, however I would not comment on the authenticity of this piece from just this one partial photo.

[RWB]

Numismatist Tom Delorey is working on a definitive article about these critters. It should be very interesting.

[Keith Dee]

On 2/28/2022 at 6:52 PM, Coinbuf said:

A correct 1922 no D strong reverse will have the second 2 struck better than the other numbers, however I would not comment on the authenticity of this piece from just this one partial photo.

Really? I have a 22 weak D and the 2 is about as weak as the D and I’ve checked out graded none D strong reverses and they to have a weak last 2. I know the none D was made from poor dies so I can’t understand how just that one on the edge is more stronger then the rest of the devices. It’s just weird even if it’s a 100% real. 

[RWB]

Dies started out OK but were used far too long. The reverses were hold overs from previous years.

[Coinbuf]

On 3/2/2022 at 9:33 AM, Keith Dee said:

Really? I have a 22 weak D and the 2 is about as weak as the D and I’ve checked out graded none D strong reverses and they to have a weak last 2. I know the none D was made from poor dies so I can’t understand how just that one on the edge is more stronger then the rest of the devices. It’s just weird even if it’s a 100% real. 

There are differences between the three 22 no D varieties, this is taken from the PCGS "official guide to coin grading and counterfeit detection":

"No D cent should have the second 2 stronger than the first 2. Also the word TRUST is sharply struck. There are additional diagnostics which differentiate the more expensive and popular 1922 No D Lincoln cents. Therefore, authentication is highly recommended for this variety."

In order to properly identify a 1922 no D coin you have to look at more than just the date, hence that is why I said "I would not comment on the authenticity of this piece from just this one partial photo".    I, or anyone who knows what they are doing, needs to see the entire obverse and reverse not just one quarter of the obverse to properly identify and attribute a 1922 no D coin.   You are lacking the proper information and trying to attribute with only the date, a combination that will lead you to wrong attributions.

[RWB]

Just to be clear on Coinbuf's quote. The pressure used to strike the coins was the same. Ergo, parts cannot be "better struck" than others. What is described is differential abrasion due to over use and irregularities in die steel. That is, some parts are sharper than others - but not "better struck."

OK...ok....it's a couple of nits.

[Keith Dee]

On 3/2/2022 at 4:24 PM, Coinbuf said:

There are differences between the three 22 no D varieties, this is taken from the PCGS "official guide to coin grading and counterfeit detection":

"No D cent should have the second 2 stronger than the first 2. Also the word TRUST is sharply struck. There are additional diagnostics which differentiate the more expensive and popular 1922 No D Lincoln cents. Therefore, authentication is highly recommended for this variety."

In order to properly identify a 1922 no D coin you have to look at more than just the date, hence that is why I said "I would not comment on the authenticity of this piece from just this one partial photo".    I, or anyone who knows what they are doing, needs to see the entire obverse and reverse not just one quarter of the obverse to properly identify and attribute a 1922 no D coin.   You are lacking the proper information and trying to attribute with only the date, a combination that will lead you to wrong attributions.

I guess I have more learning to do about the wheaties or at least remember there’s multiple dies used in this one. For some reason I was under the belief the 22 was just dirty with grease and slowly built up in the die to make a weak D to no D. Looking at this again I can see what’s been said about the TRUST being more defined and the TY in LIBERTY. I still think their asking price is way high for this $1350. And I still get weary about buying coins from someone online. Who’s to say they just didn’t take a pic of the reverse from another coin? After seeing all the so called 1982 D small date coppers up for sale I’m very cautious on purchasing coins lol.

[Woods020]

If you are skeptical of buying, which we all should be to some degree, there are other ways. Buy certified coins from NGC, PCGS, or even ANACS. Alternatively buy from a dealer who you trust or who has built a good reputation. 

[Coinbuf]

Being cautious of a key date raw coin is a good thing, that is not to say that there are not any good raw key date coins out in the wild.   In addition to my slabbed coins, I myself have a 1909 SVDB in VF condition, as well as a 55/55 and a 22 plain in my raw dansco album.   What is important is to know what you're looking at or buying from a trusted source, not some yahoo on etsy or fakebook.   Knowledge is key in situations like this, that does not guarantee you cannot get burned but the more you know the less the risk.

Now finally with the full coin photos I would say that from these photos the coin looks to grade VF30 which the price guides put at around $1,100 to $1,300 in value, so the asking price is not out of line for a nice original example.   However, it also looks to have been cleaned in the past from the photos and as such should reduce the value to something more like the price of a Fine or VG price.   As a comparison tool here is one of my 22 no D strong reverse coins, this is what a circulated VF coin should look like in my opinion.

 

Edited March 3, 2022 by Coinbuf

[BillJones]

The 1922 Plain Cent is a coin that I would buy in a certification holder only unless you are dealing with an honest, expert dealer that you really know. I knew one such dealer, but he died many years ago. He used to hold local auctions, and he once had all three of the 1922 Plain varieties on one sale. It would have been fun to go back in a time machine and buy them all because this guy knew what he was doing. 

There are the so-called "broken D" variations on this die state. Those are to be avoided at the going price because the experts don't value them as highly. The varieties with the weak reverse used to be like your "red headed cousin" too because PCGS didn't recognize them. I am not sure if they do now or not. 

If I don't know the dealer, I would never buy this coin raw off the Internet. There are some coins that you need more than just the dealer's photos. 

One problem is that a lot of collectors like to have these coins raw so that they can put them in their album to make the book complete. I bought a nice 1922 Plain in a collection when I was dealer. I was going to keep it and put it in "my boyhood collection of Lincoln Cents" album to make it complete after 25+ years, but a dealer friend made me "an offer I couldn't refuse" for the coin. 

Edited March 3, 2022 by BillJones