I don't want to jump to any conc!lusions but this maybe an 1945/43 OPD

[Coiningforprofit]

You can clearly see another number under the 5. middle lf the 5 is covering another number tge rounded ends makes it look like its an 1943 being covered by the 1945 (look at the 5)and to me

SO this would be considered this a an overdate printed error..... and if it did happen to be a 1943 copper(3.06g) wouldn't be out of this world to acr

[MintErrors]

There are no documented 1945 over 3 overdates on Lincoln cents. If you are magnifying this beyond 10 to 40x, you can see a lot of stuff that is simply metal flow. In this particular case, you are simply trying too hard.

I suggest looking at three of the popular websites for Lincoln cents:

Http://varietyvista.com

https://coppercoins.com

Https://doubleddie.com

If you are really into overdates, European coins is where to look. Some wild examples exist. I recently had the privilege to photograph hundreds of them. Sweden, Belgium, Spain, Mexico, and a few other countries have quite a few.

[Petespockets55]

I agree 100% with Gary.

[Ray Parkhurst]

I see what he's talking about. The "3" is very small and rotated about 45deg, sticking out of the upper part of the "4". Looks like some small die gouges.

[Coiningforprofit]

RAY YES YOU ARE SEEING WHAT I AM ... IM GOING TO TRY AND TAKE BETTER CLOSE UPS , and I haven't and actually know better not to exceed about 8-10x zoom, like you said Mint 40x would cause you to see what's not there and than some
... this is 6_8x and I clearly see something under the 5, just glad to see I'm not the only one that sees somethjnf

[Coiningforprofit]

CM230513-184327019.jpg CM230513-184358020.jpg CM230513-184128017.jpg CM230513-184128017.jpg CM230513-184247018.jpg

[eaxtellcoin]

I would suggest using a toothpick and lightly rub under the flat part of the 5. This is a normal coin with verdigris is what I suspect.

[Ray Parkhurst]

RAY YES YOU ARE SEEING WHAT I AM ... IM GOING TO TRY AND TAKE BETTER CLOSE UPS , and I haven't and actually know better not to exceed about 8-10x zoom, like you said Mint 40x would cause you to see what's not there and than some
... this is 6_8x and I clearly see something under the 5, just glad to see I'm not the only one that sees somethjnf

But that "3" is too small to be a numeral, so it is for sure something else. You should also try to figure out "how" something like this could happen. If you study the die making process from this era, you'll learn that repunched dates (RPD) are not possible. There are several examples of Lincoln Wheat Cents that show what look like RPDs...a 56-D, a couple of them in 1957, the 58/57, etc. All of these have the "repunched" numeral which is about the same size and shape as what would be expected from true RPD, yet none of them have been proven to be RPDs since they are impossible given the minting process. Now, it could be that a mint employee might create some sort of fantasy piece by punching something into the die, but to be a believable RPD the added numeral should be the same size as a real numeral, and in your case the "3" is too small, so it has at least two counts against it for being a true RPD.

[MintErrors]

The only Lincoln cent that a few people have said is an overdate is the 1943 over 2. In MY opinion, I would not purchase this, even though they can be cherry picked when they are already slabbed as the incorrect variety. The coin collecting hobby is starving for errors and varieties, but few realize there are good pickings outside of North America.

https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/experts-confirm-1943-1942-s-lincoln-cent-overdate-variety

It is not impossible for this to happen, just improbable. For the original posters coin, we are talking about a 3 year span vice just a single year or months to days before the year changed for the 43/2. possibility.

Logical thinking always succeeds over hope. Overlays always bury that hope.