Collector Discovers Rare Lincoln Cent Error Worth Thousands

• Collectors reach out to CoinWeek to share their discovery of a rare 1943 Lincoln cent error
• Coin shows Lincoln’s head on both sides and is classified as an Obverse Mirror Brockage
• This rare coin will appear in a March 2024 Stack’s Bowers Rarities Night auction

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On January 22, collectors Kerry and Tracy Hoffman of Bethany, Oklahoma, reached out to CoinWeek to share the news of their discovery of a 1943 Lincoln cent with a rare obverse mirror brockage error. A brockage is a mis-strike, where one side of the coin has a mirror image impression of the design found on the other side of the coin. In this instance, the obverse of the coin features the expected portrait of President Abraham Lincoln found on all Lincoln cents, while the reverse features a mirrored impression of Lincoln’s portrait. Much of the lettering is absent on the brockage image, but the letters RTY from LIBERTY and 19 from the date are clearly visible.

Not sure what to do with this amazing find, the Hoffmans reached out to Paula Bluhm at the Live Coin Q&A on YouTube, who featured the coin in a couple of her videos. She then helped the Hoffmans get in touch with mint error specialist Joe Cronin, author of Mint Errors to Die For, for help getting it certified and authenticated. Cronin identified the coin as a major mint error after reviewing the coin and consulting other error specialists. PCGS confirmed the experts’ opinions and graded the coin MS63. It is the only known 1943 Lincoln cent with this dramatic error.

The coin has been consigned to Stack’s Bowers, where it will be offered in the company’s March 2024 Rarities Night session.

Kerry and Tracy Hoffman want coin hunters to know that there are still great coins out there: “all you need to do is keep your eyes open.” For this lucky coin collecting couple, a once-in-a-lifetime circulation find will likely earn them thousands of dollars.

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