1958D Penny Any help on this? 0

[PerfectDude]

I've recently in the past couple of years started collecting again in a minor status. Last night I was transferring pennies from an older folder to a newer folder while adding additional pennies that I've come across over the years. In grabbing my 1958D which I may have had for 30 -40 years now, I put it under my scope and noticed immediately that it's not a normal penny. I did some researching and still don't know what I have here.  The penny weighs 2.98 grams and is slightly thinner than a normal copper penny.  I think it may be one of the ones I read about that have been struck on a centavo planchet but not sure.  Any help here based on my pics?

Thanks

[powermad5000]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Well, you don't need a scope to see there is something with this cent. I would say it was slightly broadstruck and if so, its shape will be slightly larger than a normal cent. You can tell this if you place a normal cent on top of this cent and your 1958 D is still showing and seems "out of shape".  A broadstruck coin is one that is struck out of the retaining collar which keeps the coin's shape during the strike, so the coin ends up a little thinner and larger in diameter than a normal cent. Broadstrikes will also affect some of the design images as the strike spreads those out as well or they don't fully strike up as the metal expands more than it flows into the spaces of the die.

While broadstrikes are an error, they are somewhat more on the common side of errors and one such as this that did not severely deform the cent will not garner much additional premium. In addition, error collectors are also now seeking not just the error but also the quality of the coin itself. For Lincoln Wheat Cents and especially those at the end of the series such as this, they would be looking for one that is "red" in original color and highly MS in condition in addition to the error.

Edited January 4 by powermad5000

[Sandon]

      I don't think that this coin was broadstruck or any other mint error.   Your 1958-D Lincoln cent was very likely at one time encased in a metal ring and used as a souvenir or as advertising for some event or product. Coins removed from such rings exhibit this type of flattening and/or crimping around the edges. See the following topic for examples of encased cents and the damage that shows on coins removed from the encasements:

 

[Fenntucky Mike]

Sandon nailed it, this is absolutely a previously encased cent. No added value.

Here is one from my collection.

Edited January 4 by Fenntucky Mike

[powermad5000]

Good catch @Sandon. I did a look back and I don't know how the "scallops" near the date missed my attention.

I have a lot going on personally, and maybe I just need to take a break from everything for awhile.

Before I come down with a severe case of pareidolia.

Edited January 4 by powermad5000

[Coinbuf]

An encased cent is a very likely explanation for the look of this coin.   As to the whole wrong planchet theory that will require you to spend some money on a metallurgical evaluation to sus out and prove.   The more likely explanation is that it was a slightly thin, slightly underweight planchet to start with when combined with the loss of metal through wear gives you this weight.

Edited January 4 by Coinbuf

[Greenstang]

With the mint tolerance of .12g the OP’s cent is only .01g light which   
could be attributed to wear
 

[Henri Charriere]

🐓:  A distinguished panel of exuberant hobbyists have weighed in and I am inclined to accept their findings provisionally.  But they failed to note or explain one peculiarity...

Anyone care to credibly explain, "encasement" notwithstanding, how a cent which was presumably minted with a standard, forward-looking number 1 in 1958, magically reversed direction?

 

[EagleRJO]

On 1/4/2024 at 6:12 PM, Henri Charriere said:

Anyone care to credibly explain, "encasement" notwithstanding, how a cent which was presumably minted with a standard, forward-looking number 1 in 1958, magically reversed direction?

There is no "forward" looking number "1", just a vertical line on a regular 1958 cent.  So that is likely just a die chip.

[Mike Meenderink]

The cent is pressed in mechanically to the aluminum token which has slight serrations to grip the cent. As the coin is pressed in it becomes flattened and its diameter is slightly increased which locks it into the token.  

[EagleRJO]

On 1/4/2024 at 1:15 PM, PerfectDude said:

The penny weighs 2.98 grams and is slightly thinner than a normal copper penny.  I think it may be one of the ones I read about that have been struck on a centavo planchet but not sure

It does not appear to be the correct color for a 1958 Centavo, which also would weigh about 2.50 grams as well as have a 16.76 mm diameter, and it doesn't look like they were produced at the Denver mint.  A typical 1958 cent would have a specified weight of 3.1 grams and 19.0 mm diameter.

Edited January 8 by EagleRJO

[PerfectDude]

Thank you all for the knowledge provided.  Learning slowly as I’m new at this.