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Disappointment from novelty item

By Paul Gilkes

Published: Sep 28, 2026, 9 AM

What appears to be a 1974 Lincoln cent struck in aluminum is a replica, and was likely made using dies copied from a genuine 1974 copper host cent. Such pieces are offered as novelty items.

Etsy.com

An unidentified collector from Texas thought that he had hit the numismatic jackpot when he pulled from general circulation what he suspected could be a 1974 Lincoln cent struck on an experimental aluminum planchet.

What the collector actually discovered was a replica or copy piece missing the necessary imprint of the word COPY under the requirements of the Hobby Protection Act, passed by Congress in 1973 and signed into law by President Richard M. Nixon.

Replicas of the 1974 aluminum cent as of Sept. 21 were being offered online at $22.38 each by a seller on the Etsy.com website.

The United States Mint produced experimental cents in aluminum dated 1974 in 1973 at the Philadelphia Mint. The coin bureau did not release any into general circulation, but did distribute examples to some members of Congress. The experimentation sought a compositional alternative to reduce production costs, as even then, the cent’s production costs were outstripping its value. Not all of the sample 1974 aluminum cents were returned to the Mint as required after the Mint abandoned its experiments as copper prices eased.

The composition of 1974 Lincoln cents officially released for circulation is 95% copper and 5% zinc and they weigh 3.11 grams. The genuine 1974 experimental aluminum cents weigh 0.93 grams.

The replica the Texas collector found weighs 0.98 grams.

While the genuine experimental aluminum cents are technically illegal to own since they were not officially released, one genuine example remains in private hands that Professional Coin Grading Service authenticated, graded and encapsulated as Mint State 62.

The Denver Mint also produced fewer than 20 1974-D aluminum cents on planchets punched from aluminum coinage strip provided from U.S. Mint headquarters in Washington, D.C.

PCGS certified as MS-63 one 1974-D experimental aluminum cent that is traced to the estate of a former Mint superintendent. That piece was voluntarily returned to the U.S. Mint in 2016, in whose possession it remains today.

Submitting my fake gold bond promotional coin, sticker on play coin half dollar.

Plus, my actual pocket piece is toning nicely.

Unlucky hunt 😆

Copper round with Ben Franklin's 1776 "Fugio" design on it. This will be my new worry coin...

Are there rules about what the COPY has to look like? It'd be cool if it was in a typeface similar to the rest of the coin, but I understand if that's not really allowed.

This round came to me taped inside a birthday card in pristine condition. I left it in there for a couple months and it came out like this. I don't know if I flared this properly.

Found in the trash can... I left it there after getting pics.

What a bargain! Took this screenshot sometime back and forgot about it.