1942 s wheat penny error, or not 1 1

[Green2]

So I was sifting through some coins i have and came up with this 1942 s wheat penny that (to me) absolutely does show an error, around the date for sure, and possibly on the mint mark as well. Also there appears to be some kind of anomaly going on just below the number 4, on the date that runs down to the right of the S mint mark as well.   I can't tell one way or an other if this coin is something I should spend money on to get it evaluated, or is this a coin I shouldn't get to excited about. If anyone out there can share some insight on what they know about this, or what they think I would appreciate it very much.  

[Greenstang]

Not an error of any kind.An error can only occur during the striking of
the coin and that could not have happened at that time.
That looks like there is some sort of glue like substance on the surface.   
Try soaking it in pure acetone for about 24 hours and see if it disappears.

Edited March 30 by Greenstang
Correct typo

[Coinbuf]

I agree, from your photo it does appear to be a dried glue covering that part of the coin.

[Sandon]

    I agree that your 1942-S Lincoln cent appears to have been partly coated with glue or some other foreign substance after the coin had entered circulation.

    Contrary to what you may have read or seen on some websites, it is extremely unusual to find any significant mint error or other rare or valuable coin in circulation or in coins that were accumulated from circulation. In nearly 53 years of collecting and studying U.S. coins and checking change, I have never found any coin worth more than a few dollars in circulation.  I know only one collector who ever has received a significant mint error in change.  The vast majority of pieces that people post here believing that they are mint errors or die varieties are coins that were damaged or altered after leaving the mint. Nearly all of the others exhibit minor anomalies or "quality control issues" that have little or no market value and wouldn't be attributed as mint errors by third-party grading services.  It's fine to keep on looking through change, but please understand that you are highly unlikely to find anything of real interest or value.

   If you check the inventory of a dealer who deals primarily in mint errors such as Sullivan Numismatics, you will find that the vast majority of the more expensive items offered are in uncirculated grades.  I understand that most major mint errors are discovered in newly issued coins at counting houses or by bank personnel who sell them to coin dealers. Some have even been smuggled out of the mint by mint personnel.  In 2002 the U.S. Mint initiated procedures that have made it very difficult for any major error that results in a coin being misshapen from leaving the mint, and very few such pieces have been found dated later than 2002.

   I assume that you have a current or recent "Red Book", a grading guide, and access to current price guides from which you can obtain basic information on U.S. coins and collecting them. If you don't, please let us know so we may assist you in obtaining them. For generally correct information about mint errors at an introductory level, see the following:   

Learn Grading: What Is a Mint Error? — Part 1 | NGC (ngccoin.com)

Learn Grading: What Is a Mint Error? — Part 2 | NGC (ngccoin.com)

Learn Grading: What Is a Mint Error? — Part 3 | NGC (ngccoin.com)

Learn Grading: What Is a Mint Error? — Part 4 | NGC (ngccoin.com)

Variety vs. Mint Error | NGC (ngccoin.com)

For a comprehensive treatment of mint errors, see the site error-ref.com.