Off-Center Lincoln Cent Collection to be Auctioned by Heritage!

Dallas, Texas: Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers (HG&A) will offer a unique and complete collection of off-center Lincoln cents, possibly only one of its kind in existence, at their official January 3-7, 2006 Florida United Numismatists Signature Auction.

"This grouping of 95 coins, complete by year and mintmark from 1959 through 2004 (no 2004-D), was compiled by a dedicated East Coast collector whose interest in off-center cents began in the sixties at a time when there was no complete reference on the subject," said Jim Stoutjesdyk, Vice-President for HG&A. "Some older references claimed that certain dates did not exist minted off-center; however, with a lot of perseverance and a few lucky breaks, this set was completed."

"The consignor of this eclectic collection considers himself fortunate," Stoutjesdyk said, "because many dealers do not know the rarity of some dates minted off-center. For example, he was able to purchase the 1960-P for $30, although he would gladly have paid in the hundreds."

"Although some error collectors collect by grade," Stoutjesdyk continued, "other factors are usually more important to the specialist. While many of the coins in this collection are uncirculated, this set was put together with a focus on how much off-center the coin was, the direction of the strike from the planchet, and the appearance of the coin."

"Heritage is known for handling some of the finest Registry Set collections," said Stoutjesdyk. "While this collection hardly qualifies as a Registry Set, it contains pieces that are far more rare and difficult to acquire."

"The reaction of the Heritage numismatists who viewed this collection speaks volumes about the uniqueness of this set," commented Stoutjesdyk. "The years of patience, persistence, and dedication to collecting by the owner of this set were immediately apparent to everyone on our staff. Viewing this set really rekindled the collecting spirit in all of us at Heritage."

For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit our Permanent Auction Archives at HeritageGalleries.com.

To reserve your copy of any Heritage auction catalog, please contact Nicole Jewell at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 272, or visit HeritageGalleries.com to order by email.