By CoinWeek Staff Reports ….
GreatCollections has sold a rare off-metal Mint error – the transitional 1983 Lincoln Cent struck on a bronze planchet – for a record $26,000 ($29,250 with Buyer’s Fee) after 49 bids. First discovered in 2006, only a handful have been found in the two decades since. Of the coins we’ve traced at auction, the example offered in the July 28 auction (PCGS #49424134) is the finest known, graded MS65RD.
What Is a Transitional Error Coin?
Collectors of modern U.S. coins are probably familiar with the famous 1943 Copper Cent. When the United States Mint temporarily changed the composition of the Lincoln Wheat Cent during World War II to divert much-needed copper to the war effort, pennies were made from steel planchets. The zinc-coated 1943 Steel Cent was produced for circulation, which remains popular with collectors because of its history and striking silvery appearance. But in the transition from copper to steel, a few leftover copper (or bronze) planchets managed to enter the coin press feeder and get struck as off-metal error coins. The 1943 Copper Cent is exceedingly rare and highly sought-after.
Likewise, when the Mint reverted to the original bronze composition the next year, some steel planchets were struck as 1944 Steel Cents. These are also rare, though not as popular with collectors as the ’43 Bronze.
Starting in the 1960s and continuing through the ’70s, the price of copper on the global market had gotten too high for the Mint to produce cents economically. Some advocated for abandoning copper as a coining metal altogether–this led to such experiments as the 1974 Aluminum Cent–but the Mint resisted change for decades.
By the early 1980s, however, the status quo was no longer tenable, and the Mint decided to switch from the 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc composition used previously to a 99.2% zinc, 0.8% copper core plated with pure copper. The new coin came to be known (“affectionately”) as the “Zincoln”, and 1983 was its first full year of production.
Transitional errors were almost guaranteed to exist and, armed with scales, knowledgable collectors went on the hunt.
Past Auction Prices
Variety specialist Billy Crawford was the first to identify a 1983 Bronze Cent in 2006 when a 1983 Lincoln Cent weighed the old standard of 3.11 grams instead of the new 2.5. That discovery coin sold for $23,500 at Heritage on December 6, 2013. A second specimen, certified Genuine – Not Gradable (PCGS #24526724), was discovered four years later. A few more have followed over the years, rescued from rolls or plucked from pocket change. The finest-known record-holder sold by GreatCollections was recently graded by PCGS, who used an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer to verify the coin’s composition.
The following is a chronological list of auction appearances and prices realized for a sampling of 1983 Bronze Cents:
- PCGS Genuine #24526724 – Heritage Auctions, October 19, 2012: $1,880
- PCGS MS62RB #27958616 – HA, December 6, 2013: $23,500 (discovery coin)
- PCGS MS62BN #28483687 – Stack’s Bowers Galleries, February 2014: $22,325
- PCGS MS63RB #27253310 – HA, April 24, 2014: $18,800
- PCGS AU55 #29257924 – HA, August 7, 2014: $16,450
- PCGS AU58 #28790387 – SBG, November 2015: $11,750
- NGC MS61RB #4426868-001 – HA, January 10, 2020: $4,800
- NGC MS61BN #4657415-002 – HA, August 3, 2020: $3,120
- NGC MS64RB #6493071-001 – SBG, March 26, 2024: $9,000
It should also be noted that GreatCollections has sold circulated 1983 Bronze Cents twice in the past 10 years, one selling for $3,900 and the other for $4,050.
Future Outlook for the 1983 Bronze Cent
Ultimately, the winning bidder may have an eye toward a much bigger payoff in the future as the 1983 Bronze Cent may prove rarer than most transitional errors.
There are currently more examples of the 1943 Bronze Cent–an error coin that can sell for six figures in low Mint State–than the 1983. And because four months passed between the August 1982 changeover from copper alloy to zinc planchets and the minting of 1983-dated cents, it is frankly mystifying how any bronze cents were produced that year.
Nevertheless, this is an important Lincoln Cent rarity that could indeed be found through roll searching and the examination of pocket change. All you need is patience, time, commitment, and luck in sufficient quantities, and you, too, might earn a record price for this once-in-a-lifetime discovery. Happy hunting!
* * *
Am a beginner coin collector I got 2 1982 small dates that weigh 3.11 and 1964 D nickels marks on reverse side and a few error coins how do you go about getting them appraised.
I wish I new how to tell which coins have errors on them, I have a lot of old coins, but I have no idea how to tell if they’re any good.
Honestly, its not so much the age anymore as it is the condition. Before ebay etc…it was much much harder to find specific coins, even just old coins. Now, however, what may have once been considered a scarce coin, is most likely flooding the pages of ebay. If you are lucky enough to have one of these coins, it is going to be the condition that it’s in that determines its value. You can find sites that contain a description of official coin grades and examples of each and if you think you have one in a high grade, you should have it professionally graded so you can get a more accurate appraisal. I must say, I had half a bucket of pennies from my great grandmother and i’m almost 50, and even those that are more than 100 years old aren’t worth much more than face value in the condition they are in. Eventhough most of them are in the same condition as many of the newer coins in my pocket, they’re condition is just not good enough to be rare enough to be worth enough. Happy Hunting!!
I have 2,,, 1894 and 1892 Indian Penny’s are they worth anything??
I have them and I don’t know what to do or anything if a good person could help me I have a lot of the penny you are showing thank you God bless
I have the 43 83 and more please share me on what I need or should do thank you God bless
I am quite certain that I have a bicentennial drummer boy quarter which has been punched double on the obverse side of the coin. I also believe the same quarter to be an “S”, however slightly covered with blob. I can’t seem to find anyone who may be interested into looking at it. Any suggestions?