Leather Cent

coop · Expert Member

While going through circulated Cents I usally find stuff that catches my eye at the time and set it aside for a second look. I've found some with die gouges on the bays that I was going to fix up later on. There are things that jump out at you while looking.
But I came across a Cent that looks like it was mangled on the obverse, but nothing disturbed on the reverse. The coin may have been that way since minting or someone took out their anger on it. But I'll call it a "Leather Cent" The obverse is rough and have grooves that make it look like leather. If I had been the first person to open the roll then I would know if it was a mint error. But as it is, I can't say. So I thought I would put up an image and open this coin up for discussion. Probably not worth anything but a Cent. But it caught my eye.

Bob P · Site Admin

Wow Coop...what did you do to that poor old cent?? Definitely not from the mint. May have been stepped on or pounded on with something over the revese. Someone was angry though.

coop · Expert Member

Wondered later if it was a strike through something. Being its not out of a new roll, I guess we will never really know.

Gabe · Senior Member

I think that it looks like a strike through, but Im not really sure. Maybe someone that knows more about errors has a better idea.

smed · Senior Member

If it was a strike thru, wouldn't the rim be normal?

Bob P · Site Admin

Yes smed...you are correct unless the iten struck through completely covered the collar. Even in that case, the marking (if any) on the rim would be minimal. There is no way this coin is a strike through. Looks like road kill to me.

murphy · Senior Member

I find one every so often. Here's my worst worn one:

When I look at this worn penny, I get a vision of a mechanical monkey flipping it into a penny bank and it seems I even hear the rattle as it bounces around the box and up against the other pennies. I can imagine someone or even a family doing this over the years without spending the change that they use until it become so worn that they no longer can stand to look at it. Out with the old and in with the new. Then I find it and give it a permanent home where it won't get beaten to a pulp. It's happy. Very Happy

coop · Expert Member

Looks like a spooned 1961-D to me. Amazing what kind of crapp people do to coins.