Tony S. writes: I have a 1943 Nickel (P)hilly Mint, in good condition. It appears to have a “crack” on both sides where the metal seems to “peel” away from the coin. It looks like it could have been damaged in production. Is this possible? Should I have it checked out by an expert?
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I have what appears to be a “blank” penny. It has no markings on it whatsoever and it seems to have a slightly raised edge. If I were to compare it to a date of a true penny, I would say somewhere in the teens (looking at size and color).
When the coin metal strip is being rolled out to the proper thickness, dirt or gas or another foreign substance may become trapped in the surface of the metal. When the coin blanks are cut and the coin minted, the lamination often peels off the coin’s surface leaving a depression or crack in the surface of the coin. This error may decrease or increase the numismatic value of the coin depending on the severity and the kind of lamination. See more on Laminations.
The cent you mentioned sounds like a blank flan that escaped the coin press. If it has a rim, it is known as a Type II blank and has been through the upsetting machine that creates the rim. Blanks before this process are called Type I and have no rim. See more on Error Coins and Error Coin Values.
