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Rare Silver

Friday, November 12th, 2010

Rare Silver

I have a 1976 silver penny, is it rare or not?

I have a 1976 silver penny. It looks just like a regular penny, but being silver and a bit thicker then a regular copper one. It has no P or D or even S on it. I've compared it to a normal copper one from 1976 and it's just missing the letter. Any one have any ideas?

#1 Banks will not give you over face value for any coin no matter what it's true value is. Give them a $5 gold piece they will give you $5 - if they even take it.

#2 Cents were not made with silver during the war (nickels however had some silver content) but with zinc coated steel (they stick to a magnet). Steel cents were only made in 1943. These coins while interesting are not worth a great deal - a few dollars at the most.

#3 The lack of a mintmark means the coin is a "p" or it comes from Philadelphia. The Philadelphia mint does not mark all of their coins.

#4 Technically the US doesn't make pennies but cents (as does Canada).

#5 Well I've got a few different options for you.

1. Most likely: your coin has been silver plated. Not worth much but still interesting.

2. Normally I would suggest that your coin could be missing the copper layer leaving the zinc exposed (this is rare) however your coin is a copper coin and wouldn't have the zinc inside.

3. Coin has been dipped in mercury. This used to be done a lot but most people now know the dangers of mercury and this would be unlikely.

4. Your coin was struck on a dime planchet by accident. Is it the same size as a normal penny?

The most likely of these is that the coin has been silver plated. On the off chance you think it was struck on a dime planchet:

1 - Take your coin to a local coin dealer (trustworthy ones can be found - shop around). It never hurts to get a second opinion. They will be able to tell you so much more by evaluation the condition of the coins. They will also know the amount minted and what it is going for in today's market.

2 - Try posting pictures on this website (there are many experts here that can help you evaluate it - there also may be people willing to buy if you are trying to sell):

http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/default.asp

3 - Repost this question and include pictures. You can use websites like http://www.photobucket.com and include the link in your question.

Good luck!

P.S. You should not clean your coins. Most coin collectors see cleaning a coin as the equivalent of stripping down antique furniture and refinishing it.

When cleaning, the surface metal of the coin is often stripped. Anything used to scrub the coin will leave scratches (even 100% pure silk will leave hairline scratches). Most cleaning products will have some type of reaction with the coin's metal and the surface metal can also be removed in this manner.

Your best bet is to leave the coins alone. Cleaning the coin will leave traces - which can be found by the knowledgeable collector - who in turn will not buy the cleaned coin. Also if you ever wanted to send your coin into a grading company, they can recognize signs of cleaning and will send your coin back in a "cleaned" slab (also called a "body bag" in the coin world) - which is usually a greatly decreased value.

If you absolutely must must must clean your coins do not use the method described above as it will react with the metal in your coin. Use 100% acetone (do not use fingernail polish remover!). It must be 100% pure because other additives will react with the coin metal. Place your coin(s) in the solution for several minutes (do not leave in for long periods of time). Rinse your coin(s) in distilled water. Next remove your coins and either pat dry with a soft cloth or allow the coin to air dry (air drying is better as you don't risk scratching the coin with the cloth). NEVER scrub your coins!

I would still advise you to leave your coins as they are. They may not be bright and shiny but that is what most collectors prefer.