Let’s begin by defining the 7 types of 1982 cents. The copper ones should weigh 3.1 grams; the zinc ones, 2.5 grams. The copper ones are Large Date, Philadelphia; Small Date, Philadelphia; and Large Date, Denver. The zinc ones are Philadelphia, Large Date; Philadelphia, Small Date; Denver, Large Date; and Denver, Small Date.
All of those seven are readily available in pocket change. They are valuable only in very high mint state grades.
The transitional error–and only two have been found 40+ years–is the 1982-D, Small Date, 3.1 grams.
Before 2016, numismatists theorized that there may be an 1982-D small date weighing 3.1 grams, otherwise known as a transitional error, in that this coin was supposed to be struck on a zinc planchet and not the copper one.
The U.S. Mint went from copper to zinc in that year because the copper coin was worth more than face value due to the rise in value of that metal.
Numismatic News reported in 2016 that the much-publicized theorized transitional error had been found in a lightly circulated AU58 cent. You can read about that here.
A few years later that publication reported that a second such coin, also AU58, had been found, depicted earlier.
Here is the discovery coin in 2016.
Here is the second example from 2019.
Some numismatist want to dub the 1982-D Small Date bronze cent as a variety and not an error. Ken Potter, the foremost authority on this cent, wrote this in Numismatic News: “Some feel the 1982 cent has grown from a seven-coin set to an eight-coin set if one wants to consider one of these a variety and part of the set. However, this is unlikely to occur due to the rarity of the pieces. As such, it is being considered an error like the 1943 copper cents.”
The key word in the above excerpt is “rarity.” No one has yet to find other examples of this error apart from the two mentioned here. Nevertheless, because of the value of this coin–the AU50 example sold for $18,800 in 2017–social media has hyped the odds of finding more in pocket change and bank rolls.
Click-bait videos like this one have triggered a viral search for the get-rich-quick coin.
Odds are you will never find this particular error coin.
Facebook coin groups are inundated with inquiries about 1982 cents with new members believing they found the treasured error. It requires numismatic skill to do so. And that’s where scams and buyer remorse set in. First, you must distinguish between large date and small date of the various types. Then you have to weigh the coin to see if it is 2.5 or 3.1 grams, with the 3.1 being the winning number.
Here’s a handy chart:
First, the “2” in the small date is a different font than the large date, whose “2” lacks a serif as in the small date. Also, as you can see from the red lines above, the “8” in the small type is the same size as the “1.” If you drew lines as I have, on a large date, you will see that the “8” is larger than the “1” and the “2.”
Note the shape of the “2” in addition to the difference in the serifs above. The 2 in the small date is curved whereas the large date is straight.
Now let’s use an original 1982-D Small Date copper from PCGS to see all 3 die markers:
Numismatic research indicates that the two known examples came from two different working dies because the two known examples have different mintmark placements.
You see in 1982, mintmarks were hand-punched. Because the mintmark in both examples have slightly different placements, we can conclude they came from two working dies.
But the critical difference is in the weight, so you have to have a scale.
Here’s where the trouble begins. Unscrupulous or ignorant coin sleuths can trick you into buying a regular date variety masquerading as the error.
This eBay seller correctly identifies the small date variety and includes several photos, but not one on a scale showing 3.1 grams. Are you willing to believe the seller spending that high amount?
Worse, included in his photos is a PhotoShopped or different small date coin. Compare the photos:
This is a standard 2.5 zinc small date and that you won’t get your money back. And of course, this seller does not accept returns. And even seemingly bills you with the high shipping rate:
Good luck dealing with eBay on this coin not weighing the requisite 3.1 grams. Had he included the coin on a scale, you might be able to tell if this was the same coin as depicted in the sale price. But here again, you can manipulate coin scales to read what you want them to.
Again, consider the eBay listing below. Either the seller is a scammer or just plain numismatically ignorant. Yes. It is a small date. No. It is not the valuable copper one. But if you don’t know how to tell the difference, because you believe click-bait videos, you’ll be out $1,800 for a coin that is really just face value.
Once again, this seller does not accept returns but generously offers free shipping:
Then there are sellers who have holdered their coins with a leading company like PCGS but still claiming that their error coins (NOT!) weigh 3.1 grams.
There are so many things wrong with this eBay listing. First, the seller states that NGC slabbed the coin when PCGS did. But you can also go to the PCGS verification site to view the photo of this large date regular bronze common cent:
The seller posits that this is a very rare cent and, of course, does not accept returns:
Scammers also alter the “8” and “2” of a large date and then show it on a scale weighing 3.1 grams. Also note the larger lower circle of the “8” in the large date.
Here’s an example:
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