Expert: PAPAJACK - 4/7/2008

Question
Hi, I received a penny today that is was little light in color which drew my attention to the date. Surprisingly, it had 2 dates. 1975, which was normal, but then it has a date INDENTED above the 1975 date that says 12/31/1974. Is this normal or is it counterfeit?

Answer
Hello Cheryl,                        

I have seen this done for other dates as well.

Any time you have engraved digits they are added to your coin after that coin was minted. This devaluates the collect ability of the coin. Likely it was made up for a New Years Eve or anniversary? I have seen other coins modified into keepsakes like this and considered a pocket piece or Lucky-Penny.

It is unknown who had them made but it was not the US Mint.

Any off-color could be a plating or gold wash done to preserve the coin, or just a chemical reaction from exposure to certain elements or a bad cleaning. This further devalues the coin.
It has no collectable value other than a novelty.

Thank You and Good Luck

PapaJack