Inherited One of One or PMD? What You Need to Know Before Selling

If you’ve inherited this coin, your first instinct might be to take it to the nearest pawn shop and get a quick payout. I get it. But hold on. Let me walk you through how to properly assess what you’ve got, so you don’t leave serious money on the table.

As an estate liquidator who has handled hundreds of inherited coin collections, I can tell you that this 1963-D Lincoln cent is a perfect case study in how easily even experienced collectors can be fooled by post-mint damage (PMD). It’s also a powerful lesson for anyone who has inherited coins and is trying to determine whether they’re sitting on a fortune or a pocketful of common copper.

The Mystery That Fooled Everyone

The original poster of this forum thread thought they had something extraordinary: a 1963-D Lincoln cent with what appeared to be raised symbols on both sides. After extensive online searches turned up zero similar examples, the collector started to wonder if this might be a genuine mint error, perhaps a die marked for inspection that somehow escaped the Denver facility. They even noted there was no visible evidence of depressed surface area around the raised images, which you would typically expect if a punch had been used after minting.

What followed was a fascinating thread that demonstrates exactly why professional appraisal is so critical when dealing with inherited coins. The consensus among experienced collectors was clear: this was post-mint damage. But the journey to that conclusion is incredibly instructive. Let me break it down.

Understanding Post-Mint Damage vs. Genuine Mint Errors

What Is Post-Mint Damage?

Post-mint damage refers to any alteration that occurs to a coin after it has left the mint. We’re talking counterstamping, scratching, denting, cleaning, acid treatment, and any other modification you can imagine. In the case of this 1963-D cent, the symbols were determined to be counterstamps, a classic form of PMD. Counterstamping involves using a punch or die to imprint a design onto a coin’s surface, and the results can be surprisingly convincing.

As one veteran collector put it, “There are an infinite number of things that can be done to coins, either intentionally or by happenstance.” That’s a crucial point for anyone inheriting coins: just because something looks unusual doesn’t mean it carries any numismatic value at all. Eye appeal can be manufactured. Rarity can be faked. Your job is to tell the difference.

Why This 1963-D Cent Is PMD

The evidence that this coin was altered after minting is compelling:

• Flattened spots on the reverse: A well-braced punch applies downward force only on the area directly underneath it. This displaces metal downward, pushing out the metal on the opposite side of the coin. In this case, there was a flattened spot on the memorial building directly opposite where the punch struck