KennyV57 Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 Hello all! Just joined today and look forward to being a member of this community. I located a 1948 Philly penny yesterday in a roll and it appears a bit "off" to me. If you look near the date and lapel, it appears to be a die crack or something of the sort. I'd like to get some thoughts from you experts about this coin and what may be going on. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenstang Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 Welcome the forum Hard to tell from that photo. Sometimes you need the coin in hand to properly diagnose. If it is incuse, it could be a gouge. Not a die crack though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandon Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 Welcome to the NGC chat board. Based on the photo and assuming that the anomaly involves metal that is flaking or peeling off of the coin, I think that it is what is known as a planchet lamination. See https://www.error-ref.com/?s=lamination. I agree with @Greenstang that in-hand examination would be necessary for a sound opinion. Mike Meenderink and Coinbuf 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coinbuf Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 Your photo is not sharp enough to say for sure, but like @Sandon I am leaning towards it being a lamination error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Charriere Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 🐓 : Did the OP make reference to "experts?" That's US! He's only been here a few hours. Q.A.: Right you are, but first, the customary welcome! Now, what's the question? Oh, right. The '48. Best thing to do in a case like is compare what you see, with what you've never seen. And I notice three things: Firstly, the jacket line, ordinarily ram-rod straight for most of its length, is bulky like a hobo's. Secondly, in the entire Lincoln Head series I do not recall ever encountering a reference to "open" and "closed" 9's. This one's yap is yawning. And Thirdly, all the 4's right leg is injured nd misshapen as though he were caught in a bar fight with a M/C gang. So,... There may very well be delamination, but that does not explain the yawning 9 nor the 1 resting on the lapel or the injuries incurred by the 4. In fact, it does not explain the date clearly flying at low altitude. The bomber that cashed into the ESB in 1945 had an excuse: low flying fog -- certainly lower than the 86th Floor. What alibi does the '48 have? None. I am not sure what you have here, but let's not confine the coroner's inquest to only one feature when there are other more obvious irregularities going on. Each must be examined. 🐓 : Nice going. Quintus! Any "experts" have anything to add? With or without the alleged lamination, I defy ANYONE on this Forum to dare suggest the placement of the date and the presence of a clearly yawning nine in this series is perfectly normal. I don't collect Wheaties and even I know what I am talking about. I think you've got something there Kenny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldhair Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 It looks like a lamination but wonder if it's just glue stuck to the coin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennyV57 Posted June 12 Author Share Posted June 12 (edited) Ok, guys, I took a few more photos using a white background. Would something like this be worth sending off to be looked at/graded? Edited June 12 by KennyV57 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandon Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 This still appears to be most likely a planchet lamination. The 2023 "Red Book" generically lists a lamination on a 95% copper alloy Lincoln cent like this at all of $3. A sizeable lamination like this might sell for somewhat more, but it certainly wouldn't be worth the cost of third-party certification. At NGC, this would involve a $23 "Economy" tier grading fee, plus an $18 error attribution fee, plus considerable processing and shipping costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powermad5000 Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 (edited) Thanks for the additional pics! I have been mulling over this coin for some time today and wanted to think before I spoke. While the date "appears" to be low as suggested in one response, a quick check on Coin Explorer shows if this coin did not have the feature it does in the placement it has, that the date is in fact in the placement of other 1948 LWC's. I also think the numerals are in order with normal 48 LWC's. That said, with the additional photos, I think you do have a lamination error present that just so happens to follow the path of Abe's suit. It would not be a cracked planchet as all of those I have seen involve the rim and are cracked from the rim inward toward the center. If a coin developed a "line of corrosion", this then would be the first ever I would have seen that, and that would make no sense as to cause corrosion at that level, the entire obverse would be in much worse shape. Basically I am trying to reason through what I am seeing here, and a lamination seems to be the most reasonable explanation. EDIT to add : I found this on error-ref.com and think this is pretty much the situation that exists on your coin : https://www.error-ref.com/lamination-cracks/ As far as submission goes, if this coin were in much better shape and still had its red color, I think submitting might be worth the cost, but with the coin in this condition, I think you would suffer an overall loss when you go to sell it. I would keep this coin in a cardboard flip at a minimum, however, as it is worth keeping. Edited June 12 by powermad5000 additional details Henri Charriere 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Charriere Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 RECONSIDERATION IN LIGHT OF THE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS PROVIDED, I RETRACT MY PREVIOUS REPLY [AND THE JURY IS INSTRUCTED TO DISTREGARD IT IN ITS ENTIRETY]. I BELIEVE I AM CONFUSING THE IRREGULARITY, WHICH NEW PHOTOS SUGGEST IS MUCH LONGER AND PARALLEL TO LINCOLN'S SUIT, WITH THE CHASM SPOKEN OF. THUS, THE DATE, AS SPOKEN OF, IS EXACTLY WHERE IT SHOULD BE AS POWERMAD SUGGESTED. IF THE NUMERALS DISPLAYED THE FEATURES I DETECTED, COINBUF, WHO HAS SEEN MORE THAN HIS FAIR SHARE OF LINCOLNS, WOULD HAVE SPOKEN UP. HE DID NOT. IN THE NEW PHOTOS, WHILE THE "9" APPEARS OPEN, IT HAS NOT BEEN MENTIONED BY ANY OTHER MEMBER. THE NEW PHOTOS APPEAR TO BE PROPERLY SPACED EXHIBITING NO DEFORMATION. AS TO THE ANOMALY OBSERVED, SANDON WOULD HAVE DWELT ON IT AT LENGTH. HE DID NOT. I WOULD ADVISE AGAINST SUBMISSION. HOWEVER, IT IS A NICE COIN WITH AN EVEN WEAR. IT HAS APPEARED TO HAVE PICKED UP A FUNGAL INFECTION ON ITS OBVERSE FACE AT 3 O' CLOCK BUT THAT IS EASILY EXPLAINED BY LYING IN CLOSE QUARTERS WITH OTHER CENTS IN A ROLL FOR GOD KNOWS HOW LONG. IF IT WERE MINE, I WOULD REMOVE THE ENCRUSTRATION THAT HAS BUILT UP ALONG THE EASTERN FRONT WITH MY RIGHT THUMB NAIL. ON BALANCE IT IS A COIN CLEARLY ELIGIBLE FOR ACCOMMODATION IN A COIN FLIP, FOLDER OR ALBUM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
