Expert: Dmitry Livshits - 9/5/2009

Question
I have a lincoln pennie that is almost paper thin and yet it has a head on one sidethe other has a tale axcept not as distingwishable as the head it has no mint that I can read it is obvious that it is a misprint could you please tell me its worth or an estament thank you for your help

Answer
Hi Melvin,
I actually have an Indian head penny that is exactly like this, paper thin with the front image strong and the back image very weak.
Unfortunately this is not a mint error. You occasionally have coins truck on the wrong blanks, which can account for a thinner coin, but there are no coin blanks in existence that were this extremely thin.
I would venture a guess that your coin has the front image in relief, and the back is incuse into the surface rather than raised above it.
Many of these were done by taking a thin sheet of copper, placing it over the penny (or between two pennies) and striking it with something or putting heavy pressure on it. This creates the image of the penny in the copper sheet. However, unlike a real coin where all the features are raised in relief this will have one or both sides stamped into the surface.
It's not something that has a strict value, though some curious collectors would pay a couple dollars for it as a "study piece".
Thanks for the question! =)