What kind of error is this?

[jdsarasin8194]

I brought this to a coin dealer and he took a good long look at this. It wieghs just over 3 grams, the usuall for a penny, and he said that it was not flatend by anyone post-mint based on the lettering. The strike is how it should be, so, based on these facts, he said that it looks like someone at the mint forgot to put the collar around the pantecht in the machien and so the penny is wider and thinner than a regular penny is. He did not know what this error is called or what it is worth, which is why I'm posting it here.

P.S. The nickle and IH are only there for comparison, the one in the middle is the error. It has the diameter of a nickle and is thinner than the IH.

 

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[Electronova]

I've never seen anything like it, I have no idea what you would categorize it as, maybe just a general misstrike. Great find nevertheless. If you don't get the answer you want here head over to http://www.lincolncentresource.net/forums/ those guys really know their stuff.

 

[Coinkid]

It's called a broadstrike error. The dealer was correct with the explanation of how it happened.



-Paul

 

[rjw4law]

Could it be someone is counterfitting pennies?

 

[Mackaydon]

Yup, broadstrike error; they sell for about $5.00; great return on your 'investment' !

 

[oddcoins]

Could it be someone is counterfitting pennies?

LOL @ counterfitting pennies!! WHY would anyone counterfiet pennies?! I'm sure if someone were smart enought to make such good looking counterfeit coins that they would be smart enough to counterfiet something that they could make some serious money with! NOT PENNIES!

8^)

 

[BIG61AL]

1966....long before the mint was using computerised equipment. This error used to occur during a die exchange. Having replaced the die the operator would manually adjust the strike travel, the distance the punch travels to impress the planchet. Over time the die would wear and the the distance increased to compensate. Here it looks like too much travel was applied. A usual error from this process is a too little travel applied and a weak strike is the result.