1984-D with Enlarged Mint Mark

[coin-crazy]

This mint mark has a strange shape and thickness to it. I checked around and nothing on this sort of thing.

[wavysteps]

While placing the mint mark on the master die in 1990 made less work for the mint, this may have not been the only factor in that change.

With the change to the zinc core over copper plating, the one area that seemed affected most on the obverse was the mint mark. Splits in the copper plating in and around the mint mark caused the zinc core to first expand then contract as the outside pollutants did there damage. This caused the mint mark to seem to expand, distort and in some instances appear to double.

This copper plate splitting around the mint mark may have been caused by the varying heights of the mint mark itself (from the force applied by the die setter in applying the mint mark to the working die). If the mint mark was to high, the copper plating was more apt to split in that area, starting the chain reaction of events that led to the deterioration of the zinc core under the mint mark and the oddities seen.

While this has happened to more than a few Lincoln cents from 1982 to 1989, I am not to sure if yours is the result of the actions described above; I cannot tell from your pictures.

BJ Neff

[coin-crazy]

While placing the mint mark on the master die in 1990 made less work for the mint, this may have not been the only factor in that change.

With the change to the zinc core over copper plating, the one area that seemed affected most on the obverse was the mint mark. Splits in the copper plating in and around the mint mark caused the zinc core to first expand then contract as the outside pollutants did there damage. This caused the mint mark to seem to expand, distort and in some instances appear to double.

This copper plate splitting around the mint mark may have been caused by the varying heights of the mint mark itself (from the force applied by the die setter in applying the mint mark to the working die). If the mint mark was to high, the copper plating was more apt to split in that area, starting the chain reaction of events that led to the deterioration of the zinc core under the mint mark and the oddities seen.

While this has happened to more than a few Lincoln cents from 1982 to 1989, I am not to sure if yours is the result of the actions described above; I cannot tell from your pictures.

BJ Neff

My question is, do coins with this said error carry any extra market value?

[wavysteps]

Actually, just the reverse. When the zinc starts to oxides, the whole coin will turn into a mess.

BJ Neff