1988 P Penny separation? 1 1

[CommunicatorDan]

Hi group.

I have a 1988 penny what looks like a crack along side the rim. It does appear on both sides as shown in photos. The cracks are on opposite sides of each other. Thoughts? I tried to submit the reverse close up, wouldn't load. Hopefully the full coin picture will be enough.

[CommunicatorDan]

Here is the obverse picture

[J P M]

It looks like a plating crack to me

[EagleRJO]

The cracks do not appear to be the same, as the one on the obverse is much longer.  So I would agree with JPM that it's likely a plating crack.  Clad cents from the 1980's in particular have significant plating issues so the cracks don't surprise me, and it may have just been something related to the strike in the cracked areas which created a weakness in the plating there.

[dprince1138]

Very odd.  Almost like the material did not seat properly.  Nothing in the NGC varieties.

[Greenstang]

Quote

Nothing in the NGC varieties.

And there wouldn’t be as it is not a variety. A variety is created on the die so every coin struck 
from that die would be the same, not a one off as the OP’s coin.

[EagleRJO]

On 11/18/2023 at 5:26 PM, Greenstang said:

And there wouldn’t be as it is not a variety. A variety is created on the die so every coin struck from that die would be the same, not a one off as the OP’s coin.

Of course it's not a variety as that is likely another shameless indirect plug to his shady raw coin variety Etsy/eBay coin flipping, many with misattributed varieties.  He just keeps adding on "variety" even when it has nothing to do with the topic.

I guess he thinks people won't notice that, and pointing out continuous inconsistencies to him is like talking to a rock.  I think someone else also noticed he is referring back to NGC concerning his coin "varieties" to give himself credibility.  I really hope @Administrator will eventually do something about this.

[powermad5000]

There really needs to be an intervention by @Administrator concerning this egregious misinforming using the forum. If anything, it is only going to cause a lack of integrity in the forum as a whole and people will end up going elsewhere to get information.

To the OP, these copper plated zinc core cents had many plating issues from about 1982-2000 roughly. There was a lot of bubbling, cracking, and even some where the plating flaked off in areas. None of them are errors or varieties. From the photos you provided, it seems more like the plating started to bubble between the rim and the "crack" as it looks raised to me in the closeup photos.