Coins Questions and Answers ( QA’s )

It’s very probably a normal cent that either lost its copper plating, or missed the plating operation during manufacture. Since mid-1982 our cents have been struck on copper-plated zinc planchets. A specialist would need to examine the coin to determine if it’s genuine or an altered coin.

The JFK bust was added to the coin after it left the mint, just like the Liberty Bell, US map, state maps, Lincoln smoking a pipe or cigar, Masonic emblems, etc. These are classed as ‘novelty’ coins with little or no collector value, since they are altered coins.