What should I do? 1 1

[BubbseyL]

So coins have been one thing I NEVER thought I would start looking

in to. Now however, its hard to get any interest in an ungraded coin. Well I'm super broke, nobody believes me, and good advice in the community is ?it's worth a cent?

So I ask, do I have something with stuff such as (I believe) this 1993D ddo closed am? And are there graders who are willing to grade for select coins they like? 

 

Also, on a side note, is anyone familiar with dimes that had the D mint on the reverse rather than the ob?

[powermad5000]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

The close AM is normal on a 1993 D Lincoln Cent and there are no wide AM's for any of the mintmarks of that year. As for a DDO on the cent you have pictured, from what I can see in the photos is some split plate doubling around the date and mintmark, which is a form of worthless doubling found on these copper plated zinc cents.

As for the D on the reverse of Roosevelt dimes, the D mintmark was placed on the reverse next to the bottom of the torch from 1946-1964.

Sorry this cent is not special, but keep looking!

As for it seems that you have just started looking at coins, if you continue, you would do well obtaining a copy of the Red Book of United States Coins, 2025 to help you learn things about the coins you come across. You can also avail yourself of the online resources on this page and also on the PCGS webpage.

[BubbseyL]

Ah I see. No I kinda just ended up with a bunch of coins from someone who did collect them. I dunno she had some pretty cool stuff still! Let me show you a few of the neat ones that I already wanted to get checked out!

This 63 I took to the pawn shop and he just said "its been dipped" and threw it right back.

 

I'm sure whoever clipped it did so out of curiosity.

 

As far as this 1920... Well I'll let you tell me!

Then finally my personal favorite. Just because its a straight stud!

 

[BubbseyL]

Then ofc the real issue im having.... 

[Sandon]

    Welcome to the NGC chat board.

    Regrettably, none of the coins whose images you have shown here is rare or valuable.

   The 1963 cent (whose odd color does indicate it has been dipped or "cleaned") appears to have a straight planchet clip, a minor mint error which if genuine has a generic list value of $3 in the 2023 A Guide Book of United States Coins, commonly known as the "Red Book". Based on your photo of the edge, however, it appears that someone likely sawed off a piece of the edge after the coin left the mint.

   The well-worn (just Good details) and damaged 1920 cent (a common date with a high for its era mintage of over 310 million pieces) is only worth a few cents in this condition.

   The circulated (Extremely Fine or so) Jefferson nickel, a very common coin with a mintage of nearly 1.8 billion pieces, is only worth its face value of five cents. The circulated and normal 1993-D cent with which you started this topic (mintage over 6.4 billion) is also just pocket change.

   You appear to be laboring under a misconception about what makes coins valuable. First of all, please read the following article recently posted by a well-known coin dealer: Jeff Garrett: Fake News and Misinformation in Numismatics | NGC (ngccoin.com).

    What you "should do" is obtain and study legitimate resources of information about coins, starting with the current (2025) edition of the "Red Book", a grading guide, and current price guides. See the following forum topics identifying and explaining where you can obtain these print and online resources:

     

 

[Coinbuf]

I see no Blakesley effect on the 1963 cent so I do not think that is a legitimate clip, likely as @Sandon surmised something post mint.   These are nice coins for a coin album or folder but I'm sorry to say there is nothing of any real value that I see in your photos.

[powermad5000]

If you like these coins, they may be better off residing in some coin albums that you can obtain from Wizard Coin Supply, Hobby Lobby, or even some local coin shops/dealers carry them. They are available in any denomination and might be better for organizing and displaying the coins instead of having each one of them in a small plastic bag. As long as the albums are stored correctly in a temperature and humidity controlled environment, you won't have any issues taking them out of all those plastic bags and putting them into the albums. Just make sure your hands are washed, clean and dry before you do so and always handle any coins by their edges. Don't touch the surfaces of any coin as doing so can impair its surface through your skin oils even if you have washed your hands.

Edited July 20 by powermad5000

[BubbseyL]

So if the toning is darker but the surface is still essentially scratch free like these (yes I see the damage on the middle one but ignore it for the sake of this question) How sevierly would the grade be impacted? I'm sure itd be about 1/10th the value as the coin above or? Ignore the years too just only tone.

[BubbseyL]

And I would like to add that the nickel is worth more than face value. Its a piece of art created by its very own self think about that!

I'm just being argumentative, I know what you mean.  

As far as the 1920, I was more referring to the obverse, I don't think that was damage caused from being around. That's why I was asking about that. 

And thank you for the discription on the 63. I imagined someone clipped it also just to see what was on the inside.

I promise, I am partially studied. I've been at it hard all month for at least 3 hours every day. But I'm new still so..  I've just been going through so many different people's thoughts and everything about it trying to learn... Thats why I came here to ask the pros about a few things.

I just feel that the lady who collected these deserved to have them properly examined out of respect for her in her afterlife.

I have gained one BIG thing that I have learned. Collections are very personal and it's for sure a buyers market.

Thank you all so much by the way, I'm sure I'll talk to you all down the road but the toning part was about the last question I had as far as if it's worth it or not.

[Sandon]

On 7/21/2024 at 4:54 AM, BubbseyL said:

So if the toning is darker but the surface is still essentially scratch free like these (yes I see the damage on the middle one but ignore it for the sake of this question) How sevierly would the grade be impacted? I'm sure itd be about 1/10th the value as the coin above or? Ignore the years too just only tone.

   Coins composed largely or entirely of copper that are in uncirculated condition are classified as "red" (full or very nearly full original mint color), "red and brown" (partial but significant original mint color), and "brown" (little or no original mint color). See Learn Grading: What are BN, RB and RD? | NGC (ngccoin.com). Valuations of specific coins depend not only upon the color designation--the more "red" the better--but upon other factors (surface preservation, luster, strike, "eye appeal", and the presence or absence of impairments such as "cleaning" or scratches and their severity) as well.  A copper coin graded MS 67 BN (gem uncirculated and unimpaired but without original color) might be worth more than one graded MS 63 RD (typical to choice uncirculated and with full original color but with noticeable abrasions from coin-to-coin contact and average or below average strike, luster, and/or "eye appeal" for the issue).  Copper coins turning brown usually isn't referred to as "toning". Some "brown" copper coins develop a bluish or violet iridescence that is regarded as "toning" and is considered a positive "eye appeal" factor.

   The 1957-D cent in your last post would likely be classified as "red" if the reverse is similar to the obverse, the 1967 and 1968 as "brown". The 1957-D might be worth a dollar or so. Many uncirculated rolls and bags of this issue were saved. The 1967 and 1968 have no significant numismatic premium in this condition.

   I strongly encourage you to refer to the resources identified in the topics I linked in my previous post on this topic, especially a "Red Book", a grading guide (print or at least online), and a current price guide (print or online). "Buy the book before the coin" is an old saying that is still valid today, although today some online resources can be used as well. (Beware, however, of online misinformation.) It is difficult to answer your questions when the answers require understanding of underlying concepts, as in this case.

   The person from whom you inherited these coins was obviously a casual collector who collected coins from circulation. There is nothing wrong with this, as long as you understand that such coins are unlikely to have significant collector value in our lifetimes. (Any dimes, quarters, half dollars, or silver dollars dated 1964 or before have value for their silver content, as well as some such value for half dollars dated 1965-70.) Whatever you choose to collect, education is essential.  In addition to the recommended resources, you should attend such events as coin shows and coin club meetings, where you can examine a variety of coins and speak with experienced collectors and dealers.

[RWB]

Please, BubbseyL, permit me to be frankly honest with you. The coins pictured, except for the straight clip, appear to be pocket change: rubbish to a coin collector. Whomever you got them from was clueless about rare coins, error coins, or likely anything to do with real numismatics. 99% of the on-line videos are lies...Click-bait to collect advertising hits.

Take the wise advice posted by other members and start over. Learn. Ask questions. Keep learning. And -- don't try to sell rubbish to the ignorant - North Korea already does that attached to balloons.

Edited July 21 by RWB

[powermad5000]

On 7/21/2024 at 4:26 AM, BubbseyL said:

I promise, I am partially studied. I've been at it hard all month for at least 3 hours every day. But I'm new still so..  I've just been going through so many different people's thoughts and everything about it trying to learn... Thats why I came here to ask the pros about a few things.

I think you would do well to obtain not only the current Red Book, but also a book titled ANA Grading Standards for United States Coins, 7th Edition. If you are strapped for cash you can still find copies of the 6th Edition for very little on sites like eBay. This book has pictures of every significant series of coin minted and the pictures have a description of grade. You can then use that to determine a base value from current online price guides.

As for the question of toning, the response by Sandon is totally excellent. I would just like to add that toning is part of grading and toning can hide some minor defects on the surface of a coin, as toning is a surface condition of the metal reacting to its environment. Copper and bronze react differently than silver or gold. Copper and bronze generally turn from red to various shades of brown (light chocolate brown to dark brown), and sometimes even turn to black.

Silver can also turn black, but also turns many different colors from blue to green to yellow to violet to purple to red. Gold coins also tone and turn a "darker" gold to almost a light brown and I have seen some with black on them but that could be due to something that was used to clean them in the past.

Toning does affect grading from the eye appeal sense but it is less of a factor when it comes to circulation marks, nicks, obvious wear, damage, cleaning, etc. or the lack of these thereof.