1975 penny with "crooked" date

I found this with a metal detector, buried probably 4 or 5 inches, so it is pretty corroded. I don't generally look at my brass pennies before tossing them in a jar for later cleaning and ultimately spending. I'm not sure what prompted me to examine them this time, but I discovered this 1975 penny on which the "5" is crooked relative to the other digits. Is this common? What could have caused it?

 

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It looks like it took a pretty good hit. Who knows from what. Post mint damage.

You'll find lots like that in your metal detecting finds.

 

I was going to disagree with you about the "hit", even though I know there is no apparent way this could happen at the mint. Then I rotated the coin under my microscope so that the ambient lighting was different. You can see where the top stroke has been smushed. The D is crooked, but I think it's an artifact of corrosion.
Thanks for the comment.:smile

Ron

 

i see that most replies will be "post mint damage" which may be true--i am pretty new to this--but i have a penny with the 5 crooked just like that and there is no "smushed" top stroke in fact other than that the penny is in good condition--im sure most of you know more than me but i would have to say--everything you havent seen or heard of isnt always "post mint damage" especially when there arent even signs of actual "damage"

 

A high resolution photo would help your case a lot!

 

Copper is a soft material. What you have is damage. PMD- post mint damage. The "hit" may have been from a tool, or from road rash or any number of other things. Commonly, these "hits" are a result of coin wrapping machines. Your coin is too far gone to determine what may have caused the damage, but it did not come from the mint this way.

 

would thee not be signs of where the number originally sat?

 

Not necessarily. It would be more noticable in a less damaged coin. Your coin has a lot of damage so you wouldn't be able tell.

 

Post mint damage/corrosion, not an error.

 

I have actually seen several of the 75's over the last few days with that crooked 5--so its evidently not rare--but i dont think post mint damage could happen to the same year,same number on year to the at least 10 coins ive seen this on--im thinking a common machine error common with 1975--but who really knows

 

Never happened at the mint. It's damage.

 

Rolling machine damage. That's why it's so common and always affects the last digit.

 

I have the same coin in better condition

I would have to differ from the damaged opinion as I have the same coin in better condition. I have posted a picture so that all of you can compare. I think that this is a repunched MM and possibly a Repunched date.

 

We can rule out a repunched date because dates have not been punched into working dies since circa 1909 (when the date was placed on the master hub).

 

I forgot to add that my coin has a rotated reverse and the rotation of the reverse is in line and parallel to the mint mark. It has has a Die Crack across the skull. I believe if you examine the eyelid it is doubled. Lincolns overall profile is extremely weak with a lot of features missing or faded. I've uploaded some more pictures.

 

The mint mark may have been a RPM but it's too smooshed to tell. You can check here:

http://www.coppercoins.com/diesearch.php

 

Exacty ...on that always being post mint damage.

 

Umm I think your about 6 years late.


Thanks,
Jacob

 

I have a 1975 penny no mint mark with a crooked 5 in good condition is it worth anything

 

No Mint Mark means is was minted at the Philadelphia mint.. Worth 1 Cent