Roll Notes: 1996 Lincoln Cent – Missing Date & Weak Devices (Grease-Filled Die Example)

This coin was found in a customer-wrapped roll on January 24th during a routine roll search.

At first glance it looks like a worn cent, but under magnification the missing details tell a different story. Portions of the date, LIBERTY, and IGWT are weak or partially absent, not from circulation wear, but from a grease-filled die. When grease, oil, or debris fills the recessed areas of the die, metal cannot fully flow into those spaces during striking, leaving devices incomplete or missing altogether.

These types of strikes are fairly common across Lincoln cents and are not considered high-value errors. Most examples trade for little to no premium. That said, they are always worth slowing down for. They are one of the clearest, most hands-on ways to see how the minting process actually works and how small disruptions at the die level show up on the finished coin.

For roll hunting, this is the kind of find that reinforces good habits. Checking for weak devices, understanding the difference between wear and strike quality, and learning what real mint errors look like in-hand. Not everything needs to be rare to be interesting, and not every interesting coin needs to be valuable.