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Coin and Paper Money Collecting/1977 US Penny
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Question
I have a (dated) 1977 US Lincoln penny with no mint mark, got it in as change in circulation as a dime around that time. The color is "silver", I guess its zinc, just by feel, because its heavier than AL. It has no charateristics of being silver, or silver plated. Looks US mint, no wire brush marks (to remove the copper plating, no flashing, so I think it is US mint. Perhaps some chemical process could remove the copper plating,but I don't know. My guess is that it escaped the US mint without plating, what do you think?
Hi Jim,
Prior to 1982, Lincoln pennies were almost completely copper -- unlike the copper-plated-zinc pennies of today.
A normal 1977 penny should weigh 3.11 grams. If your coin is within 0.05 of that, it likely is plated. If not, it is probably struck on either a dime planchet (2.27 grams) or a foreign planchet (we made coins for other countries for a long time), and would have some collector value, but professional certification would be required.
Your next step would be to get it weighed. Then maybe find a local coin show where you can have a couple dealers examine it. For show listings try :
http://www.coinworld.com
http://www.coinshows.com
I hope this helps,
Dan
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 9 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | I really appreiciate the answer. The penny seemed strange so I saved it. I plan to "donate", but I want to know the value of the coin before I do that. After I have it weighed I will post results. Thanks, | ||
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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
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