1941 Penny 0

[ThinkinLincoln]

Greetings!

My wife inherited a bag of 1943 steel pennies from her father, who passed away a long time ago. But mixed in with the steel pennies, we just discovered a single 1941 penny without a "tails". 

 

Complete novice here.  What am I looking at?.. Is this anything of value or did her dad keep it because it was so odd?

[Sandon]

Welcome to the NGC chat board.

Someone simply ground off the reverse of this 1941 Lincoln cent with a tool. It isn't a mint error and has no value to collectors.

 

Edited May 16, 2023 by Sandon

[Coinbuf]

Welcome to the forum.   This may be one side of a magicians coin, you can google that to see other examples.   If that was the case it is missing the rev, or as you call it the tails side, which would have also been hollowed out and then fit into the side you have.  It could also be the work of a bored machinist, either way it has no collector value, it could be of interest to someone that just wants a conversation piece.

[powermad5000]

Definitely post mint damage. It almost looks to me like someone put it in a lathe the way the reverse has those grooves in it. Does the outer rim have marks on it possibly where it was gripped by the fingers of a lathe? In either case, it was not created this way by the mint, and has no value to a Lincoln Wheat collector.

[EagleRJO]

On 5/15/2023 at 10:24 PM, Coinbuf said:

This may be one side of a magicians coin

I think Coinbuf hit the nail on the head.  "Magicians Coins" are made with a metal lathe to remove one side of a coin leaving the rim, and the reverse has that appearance.  Then a coin face insert from a different coin is pressed into the cut out side.

The coin face insert for the reverse may have fallen out, or maybe they just didn't finish it as that is very precise and tedious work.

Video on The Making of a Magician's Coin

Edited May 16, 2023 by EagleRJO

[J P M]

 

On 5/15/2023 at 10:24 PM, Coinbuf said:

Welcome to the forum.   This may be one side of a magicians coin, you can google that to see other examples.   If that was the case it is missing the rev, or as you call it the tails side, which would have also been hollowed out and then fit into the side you have.  It could also be the work of a bored machinist, either way it has no collector value, it could be of interest to someone that just wants a conversation piece.

This is a nickel I found in a bank roll while hunting. It is a 2000 on one side and a 2001 on the other. Same Idea as your 1941 cent.

[EagleRJO]

On 5/16/2023 at 7:09 AM, J P M said:

 

... It is a 2000 on one side and a 2001 on the other.

Are those pics photoshoped?  [jk]

[ThinkinLincoln]

Ok ... thx everyone. We appreciate the assistance!!

[VKurtB]

On 5/16/2023 at 6:09 AM, J P M said:

 

This is a nickel I found in a bank roll while hunting. It is a 2000 on one side and a 2001 on the other. Same Idea as your 1941 cent.

It took a year to make it.