How Might This Have Happened?

[tracyaw 1]

This is a 1926 penny, and it has a 'P' and another letter ghosted over the one in the date. I wondered how this might happen?

[Peckris 579]

Hmm - tricky one. It looks as though something may have stuck to the die and impressed itself into the blank around the '1'. Or, it could have been someone playing around with a metal punch or other tool, after the coin left the Mint. There does look as though there is some damage to the top of the '1' - can you get an even larger sharper picture or scan, or is that as large as you can go?

[tracyaw 1]

Hi Peckris. Yes at first I thought the '1' had been struck over because there is another piece behind the 1, not like the P which is very obvious under a loupe , but the piece under the '1' at the top '1' is raised, whereas the 'P' is not. Is the term incuse? Shall try and get a better picture.

[Peckris 579]

Hi Peckris. Yes at first I thought the '1' had been struck over because there is another piece behind the 1, not like the P which is very obvious under a loupe , but the piece under the '1' at the top '1' is raised, whereas the 'P' is not. Is the term incuse? Shall try and get a better picture.

The 'P' is incuse (cut into the blank) where all raised parts are called 'relief'.

[scott 144]

is there something near the 2 as well?

[tracyaw 1]

Thanks Scott. After closer inspection it is a D not a P, a D with the middle in relief tops the '1' that is the relief I could see. There is another letter but it disappears under the waves and wheel. And yes there is something near the 2 and the 9 but can't make it out.

[tracyaw 1]

I can't get a really good shot at the moment. I took a picture and inverted it, it looks like this, there appears to be a dotted ridge in the area under the one, and after more examination the other picture I took does make it look like a 'P'

[Peckris 579]

Your coin has a strange silvery colour - can you post the whole reverse?

[tracyaw 1]

It is normal bronze colour Peckris. I inverted it in photoshop to try and get a better image of the '1'.

[Peckris 579]

It is normal bronze colour Peckris. I inverted it in photoshop to try and get a better image of the '1'.

Weird - it's silvery grey (mostly) on my machine.

Edited September 10, 2013 by Peckris