Does the Mate exist or is the Mystery Cent an Altered Coin?

As soon as Wilkins saw the reverse (tails) side of the Lincoln Mystery Cent he noticed what looked like a curled copper filing had been embedded into the coin, the fact that the filing was so well embedded meant it had to have definitely been done with tremendous force. That fact, combined with the reverse (tails) side appearing convex and properly readable under the obverse (heads) side stamp, it was obvious to Wilkins that it had to have done with a very powerful and precise stoke…much like a US Mint die and press.

Since the reverse side was slightly flattened, Wilkins figured the mal function at the mint must have included another coin being stuck in the die with the Mystery Cent. It is that stuck coin Wilkins has been looking for since he bought the Mystery Cent in 1972, 40 years come January 2012. Finding the Coin’s mate would further put to rest any claim that the Mystery Cent is an altered coin.

As to the Mystery Cent being tagged an altered coin by supposed error expert Fred Weinberg I find it to be very interesting. By the way, Weinberg has never held or even seen the actual Coin. He bases his “1000% sure” claim that it’s an altered coin on only a photo of the Coin that he looked at for maybe 5 seconds. Some expert! Hey Fred, have you ever heard of Photoshop? I am amazed that you would so recklessly and so publicly risk your reputation by making such a claim in a major newspaper’s front page story? Especially, considering such numismatic icons like Maurice Gould, US Mint Director Mary Brooks, Asst. Director US Mint Roy Cahoon, Everett Philips-1972 President of the California Numismatic Society, Ed Reiter-Senior Editor CoinAge Magazine and many more, all who actually held the Mystery Cent in 1972 and never called it an altered coin.

It also doesn’t compute that it is an altered coin from a common sense point of view. For example, in order to have altered this coin, someone (with technology prior to 1972) would have had to made a die of the reverse of a US Cent and then go to a lot of expense and work to alter a lowly 1936 Philadelphia minted cent? And then after all that expense and work, spend it in a barber shop???? Of course in 1972, Fred you just were beginning your journey into numismatics.

The odds of the mate making it out of the US Mint are slim and the odds of it surviving the call for citizens to turn in their pennies for the WWII war copper shortage, wishing wells, railroad tracks, souvenir flatting machines, etc. are even slimmer yet. But anything is possible!

If you think you have the Mystery Cent’s Mate, please read and follow the instructions below.

"How to Claim the Reward for the Mate"

Mystery Cent Mate Contact Procedure

If you think you have the Mystery Cent's Mate, please be advised that we will only evaluate
your claim if you follow (to the letter) the following procedure:

1. DO NOT send your coin to us.
2. Have your attorney send us a professionally photographed picture of both sides of your coin you are claiming is the mate to the Mystery Cent.
3. List any and all people (including their attorney's contact information) who may have a claim of ownership or equity in the alleged mate to the Mystery Cent.
4. Please be further advised that we will not return any photos and we may not even respond to your claim if we overwhelmed with claims or if we are not interested in your coin.
5. Do not attempt to contact us directly as we will only respond to attorneys and only if we are interested in your coin.
6. Your attorney can send all communications to:

Thank you for adhering to our conditions and good luck finding the Mate to the Lincoln Mystery Cent!

Sincerely,

Dan Wilkins