Explore the fascinating world of Lincoln Cent errors, focusing on the intriguing 'rolling mill' errors and those peculiar lumpy ridges found on some 1952-D cents.
Ever stumble upon a Lincoln Cent that looks a little…off? Well, you might have found yourself a rolling mill error! Let's dive into the weird world of 'Lincoln Cent, Rolling Mill, Error' and explore those odd lumpy ridges that pop up, especially on some 1952-D pennies.
The Case of the Lumpy 1952-D Lincoln Cents
Back in February 2022, coin collectors were buzzing about a 1952-D Lincoln Cent with a strange texture. This wasn't your run-of-the-mill imperfection; this cent had lumpy, parallel ridges on the unstruck part of its face. Then, another one surfaced, and then another! What was going on?
Ruling Out the Usual Suspects
At first, folks thought it might be a lamination error, but no cracking was found. A split planchet? Nope, the weight was right. Some even considered crushed split blanks, but that seemed unlikely to only affect 1952-D cents. The idea of a metal flake during the rolling process was also floated, but the weight issue threw a wrench in that theory too.
The Occluded Gas Bubble Theory…Busted!
Someone suggested occluded gas bubbles – gas expanding under the surface, pushing up the metal. But these ridges were solid, not flexible. Plus, gas bubbles usually show up on the struck part of the coin, and these cents were lump-free in those areas. And to top it off, the coin rang like a normal cent when dropped. No dull thud here!
Rolling Mill Damage: The Prime Suspect
So, what's the most plausible explanation? The rollers themselves! The theory is that damaged or defective rollers, with irregular grooves and pits, transferred these imperfections to the cent strip. Those grooves and pits then show up as elongated, lumpy ridges on the coins. The ripples parallel to the ridges on one specimen really support this idea. The rollers might have been made from poor quality steel. Over time, they could have experienced wear, leading to those funky grooves and pits.
What Does this Mean for Your Coin Jar?
The bottom line? If you find a 1952-D Lincoln Cent with weird, lumpy ridges, especially on the unstruck part, you might have a cool rolling mill error on your hands! While this specific error seems tied to a batch of 1952-D cents, it highlights the potential for all sorts of errors to occur during the minting process.
On a completely unrelated note, a recent incident where Paxos accidentally minted $300 trillion PYUSD highlights the transparency blockchain offers. While a massive error, it was quickly identified and corrected, showcasing blockchain's potential for financial oversight. Now, back to those pennies!
So, keep your eyes peeled, folks! You never know what treasures (or errors) you might find hiding in plain sight. Happy collecting!
