The 1968-S Lincoln Cent with a 1967 Costa Rica 5 Centavos Twist
Coin collectors and enthusiasts often seek out rare and unique pieces to add to their collections. Heritage Auctions, a renowned auction house for collectors, is currently offering an extraordinary coin that is garnering significant attention for its exceptional nature: a 1968-S 1C Lincoln Cent with a 1967 Costa Rica 5 Centavos struck into the obverse, graded MS66 by NGC. Read on to uncover the captivating story behind this remarkable numismatic treasure.
The Intriguing Coin:
The 1968-S 1C Lincoln Cent, which has a 1967 Costa Rica 5 Centavos struck into the obverse, boasts a total weight of 4 grams. While this may not appear unusual initially, upon examining the individual weights of the two coins involved, it becomes evident that a remarkable occurrence took place during the minting process.
In 1968, the San Francisco Mint produced 4,840,000 Costa Rica 5 centavos coins. These coins, dated 1967, were made of stainless steel, weighing 0.875 grams and measuring 14.92 mm in diameter. Conversely, bronze Lincoln cents have a statutory weight of 3.11 grams. When combined, the weights of a bronze Lincoln cent and a 1967 Costa Rica 5 centavos should equal 3.885 grams, which is remarkably close to the weight stated on the insert (within 0.015 grams).
The Coin’s Unique Formation:
It appears that a struck 5 centavos coin inadvertently ended up in a bin of cent planchets and was subsequently fed together with a cent planchet between 1968-S cent dies. The 5 centavos coin was well-centered over the cent planchet, positioned between the obverse die and the cent planchet.
As a result, the cent’s reverse maintains a normal appearance, save for a “railroad rim” near 3 o’clock. A similar railroad rim is also present on the obverse near 3 o’clock. Intriguingly, much of the 5 centavos obverse design is visible, including the 1967 date located near the top of Lincoln’s head
