1999 wide AM Lincoln cent

genisis1b4 · New Member

Hi,

I’m new to this forum, but familiar with most of the members here and posting my first question or help if you will. I believe to have a 1999 wide AM Lincoln cent please see photo below. I’m having hard time figuring out if it’s a type 1 or 2 variety. Can someone help me explain the difference between the two or if it’s a wide AM at that?

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff175/josev1234/1999WideAMDone.jpg

eagames · Expert Member

Yours is a wide AM.
The rare one.
It's the 1999 TYPE-2 reverse.

Great score!

Welcome to the Forum Smile

coppercoins · Site Admin

If both of those images belong to the same coin, you've found a very scarce one! That's the 'wide AM' (misnomer in my opinion) cent, so-named because there is a gap between the two letters. The 'normal' reverse for 1999 has the two letters touching.

Some believe this reverse, the one you have, to be that of a proof die. I do not subscribe to this thought, because there is no evidence at all on any of these coins that they were struck with a die intended for proof coins. I do agree, however, that they are working dies created using a hub intended for creating proof dies.

For some odd reason the following happened:

In 1992, both the business strike (bs) and proof (pr) dies had the space between the A and M...the 'wide AM' design.

In 1993, both the bs and pr dies had the touching A and M...the 'close AM' design.

In 1994, the mint changed the pr dies back to the wide AM and left the bs dies with the close AM. This is still the case today.

There are a short number of different issues that came out with the 'wrong' reverse, yours being one of the scarcest. I shall name all I am aware of here:

1. 1992 cent with close AM - only a handful known.
2. 1992D cent with close AM - unconfirmed by this writer.
3. 1998 with wide AM - uncommon, but available.
4. 1998S proof with close AM - very scarce and very valuable.
5. 1999 with wide AM - very scarce, a few hundred known.
6. 1999S proof with close AM - uncommon and valuable.
7. 2000 with wide AM - quite common - thousands known.

Do not relegate your searching to this list of seven known possibilities, because reality is that any date since 1992 has the potential of harboring a nice discovery for the attentive collector. Search everything, be wary, and be knowledgeable in your search. Good luck!

genisis1b4 · New Member

Thank you all for your replies I’ve only been a few minutes on the forum and already received a wealth of information. BTW the photo of the coin is a scan here is a photo taken with my camera of the reverse. Should I clean this coin?

coppercoins · Site Admin

Unfortunately nothing you do to that coin will increase its appeal to collectors. Anything you try to do will deteriorate its value. Just leave it alone, place it in a nice holder, and be proud you have it.

I also would suggest against sending it in to any of the grading companies, because all they will do is take your money and send the coin back the same way you sent it in.

Dick · Expert Member

genisis1b4, welcome to the forum. As you can see, tou have made quite an "entrance"! Congrats!
Dick

ken · Senior Member

Welcome genisisb4 Smile

,what a great find to start off with Exclamation

Dick · Expert Member

Ken, if I'm not misstaken, that is rthe 1909-S VDB die, recovered from the "mint in China". I remember that photo. If you haven't, and have a little time, (more like quite a bit), check out that link. It is most inrteresrting, and enlightening. Unles I am in error, Ed posted the link.
Dick

genisis1b4 · New Member

Thank you all for your kind words and recommendations. I got this coin from the change at a pizza shop this past Monday. BTW my name is Jose.

rollmeupabe · Veteran Member

Welcome and congratulations.

As far as cleaning your coins, that is generally a taboo that will lower value instead of increasing value. But, based on the condition of your coin I would use some MS-70 to clean the crud off. I use a Qtip to dab the coin with MS-70 a few times and then after it sets for a few seconds I roll the Q tip gently over the surface of the coin to remove the crud.

Not recommended for coins that may have a lot of value but if it is a keeper for your collection with only nominal value it cleans the coin up nicely.

genisis1b4 · New Member

I also have this coin posted on the eBay coin DB and someone posted this statement:

"The question may arise as to whether it is a circulated proof due to its condition"

What do they mean?

eagames · Expert Member

In 1999 the wide AM is normal for proof coins so it adds no value to a proof.

For 1999 non proofs the wide AM adds value because almost all of them were close AMs.

BUT all proofs are S mint and your coin is a P mint.
So it must be a normal bus strike not a proof. (as long as your photos realy are 2 sides of the same coin as you said) If that's true just remind the ebayer asking you that question that 1999 proofs have an S on the obv and yours does not.

See above where CD said