1953 D Wheat Cent - Got it back as change from 7-11 today 1 1

[TheKid316]

I am new to this obviously so be kind. I got this back in change today from 7=11 and it shines very similar to newer or "mint" types that I see. I am aware it is not best practice to hold with fingers but I suck with the photo taking aspect, suggestions are welcome. The pics do not actually do it justice so any suggestions I can try to retake. These are cropped to the max as I wanted to show detail so not sure if that corrupted the quality as it shines like a very new penny. 

My questions are, is it worth getting graded? What should I look for with errors on coins? I just do not have a good eye for it yet but I am interested enough to put the time in to learn. Is this a decent find given the circumstances?

Edited January 18 by TheKid316
Post new pics

[Coinbuf]

A wheatie is always a fun find in circulation.   Far too much glare to be able to opine about the condition of the coin, try taking your photos with the coin laying on a black or white surface and then crop.  

Edited January 18 by Coinbuf

[TheKid316]

I tried a couple more further away, doubt it helps much, photo taking tips would be awesome. 

[TheKid316]

Thank you for the tips CoinBuff I am going to try that now.

[EagleRJO]

In addition to Coinbuf's suggestion hold your phone close to and directly above the coin while resting your hand on something.  Make sure it doesn't get blurry while zooming in before posting.

[TheKid316]

Ok I have some practicing to do, the color is so unique it is difficult to capture. Almost an orange-ish shine to it. Maybe these will help and maybe not. I am going to work on it more.

[TheKid316]

Wow, sorry, those are way worse than they appeared on my phone.

[powermad5000]

Hello and welcome!

I am glad to see for someone new that you are handling the coin by its edges and not touching or holding it by its face surfaces.

Tip #1 - Properly orient the coin top to bottom before taking the picture.

Tip #2 - Do not shine a light directly on the coin (as in a flashlight). Also, do not use the flash on your phone. Both of these will wash out the coin with light. Just use the natural light in the room as long as it is bright enough.

Tip #3 - For coins with an exceptionally shiny surface, use a clean black cloth or tshirt as a backdrop and gently place the coin on it. This will help reduce light coming back at the lens. If you are still getting too much light on the surface, try to prop the coin up at an angle (I use the timer box portion of my dryer) so the light is not shining straight on the surface.

Tip #4 - You don't have to be wildly up close to the coin itself. I try pictures at 1X with the phone at a reasonable distance (6" or so) or 2X with the phone about 9-12" from the coin. Let the picture editing software by cropping your photos do the work. The image will get larger after it is cropped. Crop your photos right up to the rim of the coin in the photo.

Tip #5 - As @EagleRJO stated, when taking the photo, if you can place the phone on a surface so as to not have to try to steady your hand while taking the picture, it will help with having your photos come out clear and not blurry with the lens trying to continually refocus. 

Edited January 18 by powermad5000

[TheKid316]

My phone died so I will return with more pics soon/. This is way frustrating as it has a cool tint in some angles as orange-ish but in others it is pink copper or almost rose gold. I am convinced it is a trick coin and I am being punked.

[Sandon]

    Welcome to the NGC chat board.   

   Your photos are still too washed out and uncropped for me to tell for sure whether this 1953-D Lincoln cent that you received in change has original "red" color or, as is more likely the case, has been chemically altered ("cleaned") to have a shiny appearance. It appears that the coin has a pinkish rather than orange color, which suggests that the color is not original.  It also appears to have high point "rub" that would preclude an uncirculated grade. (On your latest photos it appears to have a more natural appearance but appears spotted and finger marked from improper handling.) Even if the coin is in uncirculated condition (also unlikely if received in change) and the color is original, the coin is a common one with a mintage of over 700 million pieces with many uncirculated rolls saved and worth a few dollars or (likely) less in any uncirculated grade it would be likely to achieve. In circulated grades, common date "wheat" cents like this trade in bulk for a few cents each. 

On 1/18/2024 at 12:16 AM, TheKid316 said:

is it worth getting graded?

     I assume that you meant to ask, "Is it worth submitting to a third-party grading service?"  As submitting this coin to NGC would entail a membership fee, a $23 grading fee, a $10 per order processing fee, a minimum $28 per order return shipping fee, and the cost of shipping the coin to NGC, the answer is obviously "no".  Individual coins should be worth at least several hundred dollars to be worth submitting, and to determine this, you need to have a substantial knowledge of how to grade and otherwise evaluate coins yourself. This requires some years of study and experience. See the following forum topics for pertinent print and online resources:

On 1/18/2024 at 12:16 AM, TheKid316 said:

What should I look for with errors on coins?

    Contrary to what you may have seen on the internet, it is extremely unusual to find any significant mint error or die variety among circulating coins. In over 50 years of collecting, I have never found any such coin and only know one person who ever has. In the case of a mint error, it would likely be something pretty spectacular, in the case of my acquaintance, a Lincoln cent that had been overstruck by Jefferson nickel dies. The second topic linked above contains links to several articles and websites concerning mint errors.

   In terms of photography, my photos, taken with a digital microscope, aren't of professional quality either, but a properly cropped coin photo looks like this one, which is of a fully original "red" uncirculated 1944-S Lincoln cent that NGC graded MS 66 RD:

 

 

[TheKid316]

Just saw your tips PowerMad, thank you!! I will certainly try those. I am frustrated because I want to capture what I am seeing since it is pretty unique from what I have seen in my short time collecting and it just has not worked so far. I am sure ya'll have seen it all so I really wanted some perspective. I will keep trying until I get something. It took me forever just to post as I did not want to waste anyone's time and here I am lol. Also, my Asperger's OCD weirdness is beating me down over it. 

[TheKid316]

Sandon, I had no idea people went to those lengths to alter them but I could see that being a scenario as it is almost too pretty to have gotten with change from a store. It def has a rose gold or pink look at some angles and orange in others. I am going to try more to capture what I am seeing. Thank ya'll for being so helpful . If nothing else the feedback will help me grow as I am pretty much brand new to all of this.

Am I missing something to be able to directly reply to members posts? I feel like I am.

[powermad5000]

On 1/18/2024 at 12:31 AM, TheKid316 said:

it has a cool tint in some angles as orange-ish but in others it is pink copper or almost rose gold.

Not a trick, but a giveaway when it comes to copper coins, orange-ish as you say, or pink tells me the coin was improperly cleaned at some point. Unfortunately. That would negate any value it might have had. It may still be worth a little more than face value, but not by much if it is cleaned. I'd still be interested in seeing you pull off some good pics of it though, so I would encourage you to try to complete that task.

[TheKid316]

On 1/18/2024 at 12:53 AM, powermad5000 said:

Not a trick, but a giveaway when it comes to copper coins, orange-ish as you say, or pink tells me the coin was improperly cleaned at some point. Unfortunately. That would negate any value it might have had. It may still be worth a little more than face value, but not by much if it is cleaned. I'd still be interested in seeing you pull off some good pics of it though, so I would encourage you to try to complete that task.

I am going to continue trying until I do. There are so many variables to all of this which makes it more interesting. I am just enjoying being a sponge. I used to despise change and get rid of it at the first opportunity. Now it is a treasure hunt. 

[Coinbuf]

On 1/17/2024 at 10:25 PM, TheKid316 said:

I tried a couple more further away, doubt it helps much, photo taking tips would be awesome. 

In addition to the tips given above use a stack of books or in a pinch a roll of toliet paper makes a great pad to place the phone on.   Have the lens hang over the edge of the books or TP roll and shoot using no zoom or limited zoom.   Here are two Lincolns that I have sitting on my desk that I just shot with my phone using a TP roll to steady the camera and just the ceiling fan lights.   Not perfect as there is some glare as one coin is in a2X2 holder and the other in a plastic flip, but once cropped both are adequate for posting on the forum.

 

Edited January 18 by Coinbuf