You are here:
- Home
- Hobbies
- Coin Collecting
- Coin and Paper Money Collecting
- Gold 1973/4 D Penny
Coin and Paper Money Collecting/Gold 1973/4 D Penny
Advertisement
Question
Today I found a 197? penny. I thought it looked funny. It wasn't the correct color for a penny. I placed it under a 10X loop and found many many errors on this coin. The date is a 1973 over 4. The LIB is doubled. The coin feels rough. Both the front and back are rough. Uniform roughness. Not from being scratched. It is "gold" color and made of a soft metal. Softer than a regular penny. Was there any pennies struck on gold during these dates? And is it possible to have a double struck 2 date penny in gold? I kind of would like to know how much such an error is worth and if it could be legit.
)
Rob,
There's no way for me to offer an absolute opinion without physically examining the coin, but it sounds too way out there for it to be something that was done at the mint.
There were no gold coins being produced by the Mint at that time, and a 2-date coin is almost impossible, as the dies are destroyed after use -- there would have to be a struck coin that did not eject, on the last day of production, and with a new die aligned perfectly and struck over the coin still in the press, without another blank going into the machine -- pretty impossible.
So my bet is that this is something made or altered outside of the mint -- likely a novelty item with minimal value.
Try checking www.coinshows.com or www.coinworld.com for a local coin show, where you can take the coin to be examined first-hand and possibly have the metal analyzed.
Good luck!
Dan
- Add to this Answer
- Ask a Question
| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | thanks so much. I took the coin to a dealer and found out it was cleaned and plated as a novelty. | ||
Related Articles
Answers by Expert:
Dan Moore
Expertise
My strong familiarity with all U.S. Mint coins, extensive reference library, and close relationships with many other dealers allows me to identify just about any coin made in the USA. I receive regular updates to all the current price guides -- both wholesale & retail -- to provide accurate values. So, with a good description or pictures, I should be able to identify and value any U.S. coin you have.
Experience
I've been a coin dealer since the 1980's and a coin collector since the 1960's. I specialize in U.S. Silver Coins and have an active online website -- The Working Man's Rare Coins -- http://www.workingmancoins.com -- offering information and inventory in U.S. coins.
Organizations I belong to :
American Numismatic Association Member #187770
Michigan State Numismatic Society Member #8255
Florida United Numismatics Member #19710
Monroe Coin Club Treasurer
Lincoln Coin Club Board Member
WINS Member #14
CoinMasters Member #1814
Frequently Asked Questions :
I have created a Frequently Asked Questions page on my website, where you may be able to get an immediate answer to your question. You can find the page here :
http://www.workingmancoins.com/FAQ/index.htm
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.