question regarding 1974 Lg/Sm dates

aballein · Veteran Member

So i read Chucks post from 4 years ago about how to distinguish Lg from Sm and i seen the reverse shots that coop did last year, but does anyone have some good obverse shots of the different characteristics of each...i need to see some pictures before i fully comprehend what i am looking for. Things like the rounded 7 and the wide 4..things of that nature. It would be greatly appreciated if anyone finds the time to post some pics. Thanks.

coppercoins · Site Admin

I'll rebuild the web page on that when I get back from Charlotte next weekend. Not sure exactly where it is on the server at the moment.

coop · Expert Member

Here is an example of the thread memtion a few months back as to tell on the reverse of the 1974 coin which one is which:

aballein · Veteran Member

thanks a million Coop..it really stands out after you see some pictures of it. The reverse on all of my 1974 coins are too worn or weakly struck to see the podium, im just trying to complete a Lg/Sm date set.

Dick · Expert Member

Aaron, hi!
There are several things I would suggest: Get screen capture. I use American Systems "Print Screen Deluxe". All overlays, date size photos, (like Coops), die clash, etc, I print, for reference. It is crude, but works for me.
Read the old posts, as you have done. Anything that you can use in place of a photo, or the best "coin in hand", Or in this, like several others, have both coins in hand.
I have had coins sent to me with "wavy-steps", and still didn't know what I was looking AT, or FOR! (I do now). We "Newbies" have a whole new world in fromt of us, and in many cases, we just don't know what the devil they are talking about! Don't let the numbers fool you. Mine indicate I am "lurking" at all hours, and will comment on all, or anything I see, that interests me. I know it doesn't have to be that way, but "What can I say"? I learn things that way, especially when I dion't have the right answer, but think I may, and then read what I should have known! You will find the "Experts", in their own field, as you go along. THis is a learning place, and I believe, the BEST!
Dick

Copper_Crazy · Member

What about the S mints in circulated and proof for this year? I believe I sent a large date proof to Chuck which I though might be C6 doubling before I knew about this. Steve

wavysteps2003 · Expert Member

Aaron - sent you an E-mail concerning this post.

BJ Neff

coppercoins · Site Admin

All of the proofs are large date - at least there hasn't been a small date in front of me since I knew the difference, and that's probably many hundreds of 1974S proof cents. I got this information from Ken Potter about six years ago when I saw in the Wexler book on doubled dies that the 1974 doubled dies listed therein were "type 2" obverses. I asked and got the answer from Ken. Evidently they were discovered as being two different obverse types in 1980 and never picked up much collector interest because neither were scarce and the difference can be difficult to detect.

I still plan to eventually do a study to see if any of the six different issues are scarce.

Note also that there are two different types of mintmarks on 1974S cents. There is the S used from 1969 through 1974 and the 1974-1979 type. So far I have found each of the different types of 1974 cents to carry the same mintmark type across the board. The large date uses the earlier mintmark type and the small date uses the later mintmark type. All the proofs have large date and the later mintmark type.

Another thing about 1974S proof cents...I have seen a few minor north spread RPMs on 1974S proof cents. CONECA has the official stance on this that these are the result of punch damage, but I disagree.