 1¢. 1956. Struck on foreign planchet. 18.65mm x 18.1mm. 2.53 grams, 39.1 grains. Silver. Choice Brilliant Uncirculated. Given the smaller planchet thickness and diameter, there is some peripheral weakness and loss of legends from the Lincoln Cent, while the central devices and legends are quite boldly defined. There is light graphite gray toning at the rims and on the edge, while the coin itself is mostly bright silver and extremely lustrous. At first glance, one might believe this to be struck on a U.S. silver Dime planchet, however the weight is a full 3.5 grains heavier than a silver Dime of this vintage.
Given the coin's weight, diameter and date, the host planchet for this silver Lincoln Cent was most probably a leftover planchet for a Venezuelan ½ Bolivar, which were struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1955. However, the Steiner-Zimpfer reference provides a note that one of their references attributed the production of the 1954 El Salvador 25 Centavos to 1956, lending another possibility for the host planchet. Since the Venezuelan and El Salvadoran coins have different alloys, elemental analysis would provide further clues as to the attribution of this striking wrong planchet error.
| |
|
