Lincoln cent color and finish

[Conan62]

Good afternoon this is 1968 penny seems to be a different color. It’s not a copper color. It’s more of a brown. It also looks very shiny almost like someone put a proof penny into circulation. It is a bit dirty. Is there a way to tell if it is proof or was that one time? It weighs and even 3 g
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[MintErrors]

The US Mint did make proof coins in 1968, after a few years of hiatus. (1965 to 1967).

The problem is.... the coin is circulated. IF this was a proof, it probably lose its proof designation some where in the AU grade. I don't recall if a coin loses it proof designation at AU58 or down to AU 50 or, somewhere in between.

Even if it was a proof, it would not be very valuable. The mint sets back then sold for 5 bucks for the entire set. I think they made millions of sets.

Again, with circulated coins, some one may have polished or cleaned the coin.

It might have been a proof like coin and then was sent I to circulation. From there, it hits the ground, and eventually is picked up.

It's circulated, and anything is possible. Place a coin in a humans hand and weird things happen, intentionally or unintentionally.

What exactly happened to this circulated coin ? A guess is as good as any. Only two things know what really happened, the person who did it and the coin. And the coin isn't talking, so one would need to ask the person.

[Conan62]

Thanks, Gary! Maybe some kid raided Dads coin collection for the bubble gum macine. BTW the book you recommended, The error Encyclopedia by Arnold Margolis, is difficult to find. It looks like this 4 edition's and all are out of stock. I’m looking into used books now. Thanks again!

[occnumis2021]

Thanks, Gary! Maybe some kid raided Dads coin collection for the bubble gum macine. BTW the book you recommended, The error Encyclopedia by Arnold Margolis, is difficult to find. It looks like this 4 edition's and all are out of stock. I’m looking into used books now. Thanks again!

if you get an ANA membership, you have access to their library catalog to have books shipped to you. your local library(ies) should have this option as well. i've used it and it is nice.

check out the newman numismatic portal a VERY big site with enormous resources.

[MintErrors]

Thanks, Gary! Maybe some kid raided Dads coin collection for the bubble gum macine. BTW the book you recommended, The error Encyclopedia by Arnold Margolis, is difficult to find. It looks like this 4 edition's and all are out of stock. I’m looking into used books now. Thanks again!

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There are a few copies of the used version out there but they tend to range in prices that are close to double or more than the original cover price.

I was lucky to purchase mine from Fred Weinberg. I asked Fred to autograph it for me and he did. It's a great historical reference, plus it describes each stage of the minting process. If I had to do the learning all over from scratch, I would read that book, then go to the US Mint website and watch and read everything about the minting process, within reason to see what has changed.

occnumis2021 gave a great suggestion about the book. If you don't want to buy one, a library of some type may allow you to borrow it for some time. You can take notes of various types, in order to recall what you learned at a later date.

I think Arnie did a long presentation at the one of the ANA conventions. It was online for public viewing, and it allowed for it to be downloaded. It was a pretty big file. I think some one could just watch it without a download. It MIGHT have been on archive.org but, I am not positive of that. If I run across the link, I will pass it along.

I found it :
https://archive.org/details/ArnoldMargolis1990ANAb

[occnumis2021]

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I think Arnie did a long presentation at the one of the ANA conventions. It was online for public viewing, and it allowed for it to be downloaded. It was a pretty big file. I think some one could just watch it without a download. It MIGHT have been on archive.org but, I am not positive of that. If I run across the link, I will pass it along.

I found it :
https://archive.org/details/ArnoldMargolis1990ANAb

thanks (it is a diff one than i found on the newman portal)

for anyone watching, if the video won't play, when i went to d/l it by using the mp4 link on the right, THEN the file opened in a new window and played. win10 firefox

[MintErrors]

I watched online from the tablet. I do have it downloaded to a pc as well as archived on a backup disk. It's informative and shows the mint from above and from the ground floor. It's a little dark too see some times but it is all good.

[onecent1909]

Just one thing... 1968 proofs were at the San Francisco mint. this is a Philly minted coin.. not a proof. and Occnumis2021 is correct... the ANA library has the book in question.. often called the "Plaid book" because of the cover.