Expert: Cameron Kiefer - 2/29/2004

Question
I have a 1996 penny that was stamped off center. The front shows just the top of Lincoln's head, the only word that shows is "in"(in god we trust). The back just shows "on" from the words one cent, the other letters are chopped about in half. I was wonderingif this penny has any value other then the face value. Also if i wanted to sell this penny how would I go about it.
Thank you for your time.
Gordon

Answer
Hi Gordon,

Off center cents are the most common of all the denominations.  Alot of them escaped the Mint a few years ago when the Mint bagged the coins in large bags and did not use machines to cull out the errors.  They have since changed their procedure and any error coins dated from 2003 and later are much harder to find.  It does still have value and many dealers or people on ebay sell off center lincoln cents for $3-4 each.  A dealer might pay $1-2 for it or so.  It depends upon the condition of the coin.  You can look in your local phone book for a coin dealer or check online sources like ebay where you might be able to sell it yourself.  I hope this helps.

Cameron Kiefer