Really?

[SuddenAdoration]

Out of curiosity I have been looking at some 1970s small dates on ebay. I know its nothing new that there are a lot of large dates being sold as small dates. But this one is certified and doesn't look like the small date pictures. Is this really one? The 7 looks so much lower than the 9 & 0. If it's not a real small date how can this get certified as one?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1970-S-Lincoln-Memorial-Cent-SMALL-DATE-NGC-GRADED-MS-64-RED-Finest-MS-/120839395828?pt=Coins_US_Individual&hash=item1c2296d9f4

[papascoins]

OMG!! There is no way that is a small date cent!!

My guess is that there was an exchange along the way, or some kind of hanky panky going on.

If it wasnt the seller, then I know there are over-seas counterfeiters out there doing some slabbing.

[copperlover]

This is definitely a Largedate Cent. You can see the 9 is higher than the 1 and the 0 does'nt look like a small date. It is done very often because buyers hardly know the difference. Thanks for sharing.

Lucien

[creme_brule]

Unfortunately counterfeiters DO exist, and have even gone as far as copying LEGITIMATE serial numbers off of real certified slabs and pasting them on their fake slabs with non-certified coins within them.

As it seems that it's very obvious I would stay away from it. Check out the seller's feedback (both negative and positive) and his other items to see if anything else looks fishy. Another possibility is that the seller got swindled himself without knowing it and is unknowingly passing it on to the unsuspecting buyer. You could also try asking him a question.

Hope that helped

[SuddenAdoration]

Unfortunately counterfeiters DO exist, and have even gone as far as copying LEGITIMATE serial numbers off of real certified slabs and pasting them on their fake slabs with non-certified coins within them.

As it seems that it's very obvious I would stay away from it. Check out the seller's feedback (both negative and positive) and his other items to see if anything else looks fishy. Another possibility is that the seller got swindled himself without knowing it and is unknowingly passing it on to the unsuspecting buyer. You could also try asking him a question.

Hope that helped

Wow! I guess they will do anything to make a buck.

I am not looking to buy one, I was just "window" shopping. lol I am hoping to find one by searching through this last 1970s roll that I have...

[SuddenAdoration]

So I emailed the ebay seller of this coin asking him about it and this is his response.

small date by NGC & PCGS last number zero is above number seven and the seven and zero are small makes this coin small date coin as you can veiw thank you for looking

[Maineman750]

Another very real possibilty is that PCGS has misattributed the coin. It happens and wouldn't surprise me one bit.

[DoubleYou]

Whoever's idea it was to call the two different design varieties for the 1970-S pennies large dates and small dates really has done our hobby a disservice. This is definitely a large date, and the seller seems to be either confused about the difference or simply conveniently confused.

[Maineman750]

Wendell, I would venture to say the average dealer doesn't know varieties...and the PCGS slab just makes it worse. Not saying he isn't a crook, but there is a 50/50 chance this is just one big mistake.

[jfines69]

I agree with Maineman... The way that the TPGs' do their attributions is always suspect!!!

[cimperialis]

Geez, even after seeing all the garbage that sells on ebay, this surprises me. Maybe they provided a closeup of a different coin?

[liveandievarieties]

Unfortunately counterfeiters DO exist, and have even gone as far as copying LEGITIMATE serial numbers off of real certified slabs and pasting them on their fake slabs with non-certified coins within them.

Nobody is going to counterfeit a $50 coin. I know we've all read about counterfeit slabs being manufactured in China, but anyone who has that ability is going to be counterfeiting a coin worth thousands, not less than a hundred. For the same reason, you'll never have to worry about a counterfeit $1 bill.

Collectors are often lulled into a false sense of security because a coin is slabbed. The people assigning the labels are still human, and not nessecarially highly educated on die varieties. This is a great example of why one should educate themselves and BUY THE COIN not the slab. Likewise, buy the book BEFORE the coin. There are plenty of people who jump into this hobby, assuming they know all they need to because they have a redbook- these are the people who will end up buying this coin.

[DoubleYou]

Wendell, I would venture to say the average dealer doesn't know varieties...and the PCGS slab just makes it worse. Not saying he isn't a crook, but there is a 50/50 chance this is just one big mistake.

And I totally agree.

[papascoins]

When I was 'window shopping' the last couple months for a slabbed 70s smally, I saw this guy's coin which he has been tryin' to sell for a couple months now!!!
No wonder it is still there! (That error, and also it is way too much for a 64RD). Finally bought one on teletrade (65RD for $70) by PCGS.

[Bri]

The slab appears to be genuine, but the coin is definitely NOT a small date. As earlier stated by a few others, it could be a mistake on the grader's part. There are ways to tell if a slab is genuine or not and one of the obvious ways is there are mis-spellings on the labels. I would start by looking at the label when in doubt on eBay. If it seems too good to be true, more than likely it is.