Opinion needed of my 1934 Wheat Penny 1 1

[Vikingwarrior15]

Potential Error?
Hi everyone,
I have a 1934 Lincoln Wheat penny that I'm curious about. I've been told there might be an error on it, but I'm not entirely sure.
The issue: When viewed straight on, the bottom of the "L" in "LIBERTY" seems to disappear. However, when viewed from an angle, the full "L" is visible. I've included a few images with tweezers for reference, so you can see the angle I'm talking about.
The theory: Some people believe the "L" might have been stamped into the edge of the penny, which could be considered an error.
My question: Does anyone else have experience with similar issues on 1934 Wheat pennies? Do you think this is a potential error?
Here are some additional details about the coin:
 * Weight: 3.06g
 * Width: 19mm
Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Dave
 

[l.cutler]

Just circulation wear and damage.  A nice old cent that has done its job over the years. Forget about the whole L on the rim thing, that is nothing but a scam for unscrupulous sellers to cheat unsuspecting buyers.  All cents of the era had the L close to the rim.

Edited October 9 by l.cutler

[Fenntucky Mike]

On 10/9/2024 at 3:43 AM, Vikingwarrior15 said:

The theory: Some people believe the "L" might have been stamped into the edge of the penny, which could be considered an error.

You need new people. 

Looks perfectly normal for a heavily circulated coin. 

[Greenstang]

There is nothing on that coin that can’t be attributed to damage.    
You need to listen to people who have some knowledge of coins.

[Vikingwarrior15]

  Thank you for your input on the coin. I appreciate everyone's perspective, which is why I posted it here. I'm always eager to learn from those with more experience and knowledge.
I'm grateful for the insights I've received from the forum members. In the past few days, I've shared three different coins and learned valuable information that has helped me better understand their value and authenticity. Thank you all for your assistance.
 

[Sandon]

   Hopefully, you have read the Jeff Garrett article about "Fake News and Misinformation in Numismatics" to which you were previously provided a link.

   You need to disabuse yourself of the notion that you can readily find significant mint errors and other valuable coins in pocket change or in random accumulations of coins. In over 53 years of collecting and studying U.S. coins, I have never found any coin worth more than a few dollars in this manner. I know of only one collector who ever has received a significant error coin in change, a Lincoln cent that had been overstruck by Jefferson nickel dies, which obviously is quite different from the pieces you have posted on this forum.

   Your 1934 cent is worn down to Very Good grade, and the rim has been flattened by wear to make it look a little closer to the rim than when first struck. (The same obverse master die or "hub" was used for Lincoln cents from 1919 to 1968, and the letters and devices gradually spread out until by the 1960s all of the obverse lettering adjacent to the rim was connected to it.) Here are images of an uncirculated (PCGS graded MS 66 RD) 1934 cent, showing the original relationship between the "L" and the rim:

   Please refer to the following forum topics for legitimate print and online resources from which you can learn about U.S. coins:

   

  Your education should also include attendance at such venues as coin shows and coin club meetings, where you can examine a variety of coins and speak with knowledgeable collectors and dealers.

[powermad5000]

On 10/9/2024 at 2:43 AM, Vikingwarrior15 said:

The issue: When viewed straight on, the bottom of the "L" in "LIBERTY" seems to disappear. However, when viewed from an angle, the full "L" is visible.

Be careful with this. My first reaction when I read this and then saw the photo was the issue was pareidolia.

[Greenstang]

I think part of the problem, besides YouTube of course, is that most non collectors don’t realize that the L was almost on the rim on all earlier Lincoln Cents up until 1968. In 1969 the master die was reworked and all the lettering was moved further away from the rim so by comparing a newer cent with an older one, they think they have some sort of an error.

[powermad5000]

On 10/9/2024 at 11:42 AM, Greenstang said:

I think part of the problem, besides YouTube of course, is that most non collectors don’t realize that the L was almost on the rim on all earlier Lincoln Cents up until 1968. In 1969 the master die was reworked and all the lettering was moved further away from the rim so by comparing a newer cent with an older one, they think they have some sort of an error.

This is part of the problem, yes, but it used to mean nothing for all the decades I have been collecting up until recently. Since 1909 until about roughly 2020 the L on the rim literally meant not a thing and didn't even cause the slightest "stir". It wasn't until the scammers and hucksters got a hold of that as a reason to defraud those without proper knowledge and place a label and some kind of BS value on it that it suddenly changed. Suddenly it was an ERROR and they started peddling common wheats and early 60's memorial cents worth one to three cents for $20, $50, or even $200. And suddenly you had an army of people pulling out their Lincolns that have sat in a drawer or album collecting dust and pulling these out as they now think there is some error value to them. I blame the scammers more for this problem because they are the ones who attached a bogus value to it.

Anymore than the 1982 D small date. Not a single person would be weighing modern Lincoln Memorial cents if that was never discovered. But it was discovered and once it became something of value, then it changed and it became what it is now with even those non collectors buying a scale and weighing every 1982 cent they can get their hands on.

[Vikingwarrior15]

Thank you very much for all the help and advice I mean that deeply.  Part of the problem is I have a friend who kind of helped me start this journey into coin collecting and I thought he knew alot more then he does and another friend is an amateur but trys to be helpful.  So I was not getting the best of help but they are friends and have all the books and more knowledge then I had. So I am grateful for this forum.  I am doing my studying and will hopefully 1 day have as much knowledge as some of you.  

Thanks again for everything... 

[Greenstang]

A good source for studying is a pin at the top of this thread called Basic Resources Glossary.   
Read it and refer to the many links  it has provided and soon you will know more than your friends.   
 

 

[Henri Charriere]

@Vikingwarrior15. THOSE WHO DO WELL IN THIS HOBBY DRAW THEIR INFORMATION FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF SOURCES.  THEY DO NOT LIMIT THEMSELVES TO A SMALL CIRCLE OF FEIENDS, HOWEVER LEARNED OR KNOWLEDGEABLE.  CONSIDER INFORMATION AVAILABLE FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF SOURCES:  EXPERIENCED HOBBYISTS, PRINT MATERUAL, AND REFERENCES.  IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE HOBBY.  CONSIDER ALL VIEWPOINTS. THO I HAVE NOT DOENE SO, ATTEND COIN SHOWS AND VISIT COIN SHOPS.  YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU MAY INADVRRTRNTLY STUMBLE ACROSS.  MY CONTEMPORARIES ARE, FOR THE MOST PART, RETIRED. IN A SENSE, COIN COLLECTING AND LEARNING VERY OFTEN BECOMES A LIFOLONG PURSUIT.  THOSE WHO HAVE DONE VERY WELL FOR THEMSELVES STUCK TO THE BASICS.  THEY SPECIALIZED ON A COIN OR SERIES AND, AS HIS HUMAN NATURE, ATTEMPTED TO ACQUIRE THE VERY BEST THE SERIES HAD TO OFFER.  HAPPY HUNTING!

[Vikingwarrior15]

  Thank you for your kind words and encouragement! I started with a modest collection but have been immersing myself in the hobby through reading, joining forums, and exploring local coin shops. Speaking of which, I'm excited to visit a great coin shop near my home tomorrow. I'm hoping to pick up some literature and perhaps a few new additions to my collection.
Everyone in this community has been incredibly helpful, and I'm eager to continue learning and engaging with other enthusiasts.

Best regards,
Dave

P.S. My thoughts are with those in Florida affected by the hurricane tonight. I hope for their safety and well-being.
 

[powermad5000]

On 10/9/2024 at 10:20 PM, Vikingwarrior15 said:

Everyone in this community has been incredibly helpful, and I'm eager to continue learning and engaging with other enthusiasts.

And you can always return to the forum here at any time!

Just keep in mind, it takes a looonnngggg time to learn a lot in this hobby. Speaking of my own experience, I've been at it for 45+ years. And I'll just put it this way, life gets in the way of coins. That's why it is a hobby. I suppose there are people out there that can do nothing but coins day and night, but my life does not allow that much free time. I do what I can. I wish I could always have my nose buried in a coin book, but as of now that is not what I am able to do. I do my best however. And even this long in, I am still far from the most knowledgeable and will never know everything there is to know about coins, but I can hold my own at this point. In the last decade I have grown immensely in my learning, and it has also caused me to collect coins differently now than in the past. The good part about this hobby is you are not stuck to any one thing unless you want to be. Your collecting can change any time you want it to.

The thing that has stayed the same for me all these years, however, is the joy I get from looking at beautiful coins, inspecting them, acquiring them, and finally having them to admire and look at when I want to enjoy them. Finding a nice coin to add to one of my sets brings me happiness.