1982-P what the heck?

aballein · Veteran Member

ok so not as awesome as JRoccos' WTH but still...can anyone tell my why "LIBERty" looks like it does?

aballein · Veteran Member

and while im at it what about this one..the big splotch thing on top of the memorial building...this is a different coin btw.

aballein · Veteran Member

anyone?

Bob P · Site Admin

Aaron,
I can't tell anything with your photo on the 1982 coin. Are you referring to the smaller looking TY of LIBERTY??
As far as your other coin, it looks like what I call a 'blow hole', most likely caused by corrosion. Pretty common on the earlier zinc cents.

Dick · Expert Member

Bob, did you notice what looks like a doubled eye-lid, directly in front of the lid? I think it, and the odd apparent doubling of part of "liberty, are connected.
Opinion?
Dick"

Bob P · Site Admin

Really difficult to say Dick. I just can't tell with the photo...even if I use my good eye Laughing

aballein · Veteran Member

in regards to the 1982...upon closer inspection i can definitely see some separation specifically in the "I" and "B" but the "Y" looks fairly normal. I honestly dont think its any kind of MD, i have plenty of those around for reference. i can see almost 2 separate I's in liberty so i think that i may be onto something. As for the double eyelid...its a possibility but i cant really tell. If my camera had a fresh battery i would take some new pics but its dead for now. I may just pursue this one a little further

Dick · Expert Member

Aaron, if you can get a close-up of "liber", and "ty", together, or separate,makes no difference. The light will let us know a lot more about it. Weigh it, and see if it is copper, (3.11 gms), or 2.5 gm, (Zinc). It looks to be a small date.
Dick

aballein · Veteran Member

according to my calculations its a LG date Zinc and my camera takes a special battery that i dont seem to have a charger for Sad

i have a similar Lg date Zinc in my LG/SM date set that has similar properties to the one in question although it looks like a somewhat doubled ear and back of the head. It has what i believe to be MD on the TY of liberty as i can clearly see an extra vertical bar on the T as well as a doubled left portion of the Y. The motto and the rest of the liberty have what appears to be extra thickness though...im am perplexed by these 2 lincolns...as soon as i can get a fresh battery or charge mine i will post some pics

eagames · Expert Member

I think you're right that it's a zinc LD.

It looks like a LD variety from what I can see in the pictures.
On the neck and above LIBERTY it has what looks like a few plating bubbles so it probably is zinc.

I can't explain the letter size, it possibly could be something or just strange strike damage that caused LIBER to be smeared bigger and ty to be smeared lower (like the strike damage pivoted from the center causing that size change) but it's tough to say from the photos.

You can make a free scale to tell if your coins are zinc or copper.
Check out my scale making post:

http://www.coppercoins.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2121&highlight=making+scale

aballein · Veteran Member

heh, funny you should mention that eagames, while i was still a lurker i pretty much read through every post on this site and came across yours. I took your advice and ideas and made a scale and it is what i use for distinguishing between copper and zinc. I cut up a soda can and used some small pieces of lead and melted some candle wax over the lead to calibrate it..VERY smart idea you had. I wish i had a battery for my camera...stupid Kodak and their stupid special batteries...

Dick · Expert Member

Aaron, I just made a guess, without "zooming" it. It looked like the top half of the "8" was smaller than it is. I checked with the zoom, and agree with ED, it is a LD. Didn't see any bubbles so not sure. Very likely is Zinc. just checked, again. Not "likey"l, it is Zinc! Just proves I'm human, ( No, I'm NOT a cave-man, Coop)!
Dick

aballein · Veteran Member

well i managed to get 3 more pics outta my camera but bear in mind it went like this....Turn on camera....snap pic...camera dies...hope for clear shots. I had no control over conditions of the pictures it was a crap shoot and i dont know that they will even help but here they are...note that i rotated the coin 90 degrees for each shot so you are seeing lighting bouncing off the pics from 3 different angles

eagames · Expert Member

Still can't tell much from the pics. Are you using the camera zoom? I use a real cheap cemera but I add 2 lenses to get more zoom and focus closer. Just stuck them in a cardboard tube that can fit over the camera lense and it works fairly well. You might try something like that.

I think being zinc rules out the one on the site.

There's also the Die-1 FS-034.5 but it's also copper.

aballein · Veteran Member

yeah i didnt figure that the pics would help any. I noticed while looking a bit closer at it that the T is a little thicker the the Y