Owner Comments:
Lyman Allen #2.16a (KM #163) - Total Mintage: 11,660,000 ("Large S" Variety mintage unknown)
Depending on the source, there may be as many as 68 distinct varieties for all of the various dates in the US Philippines One Centavo series. The 1918 Large "S" variety is however the most well known and well documented. It is also the only variety deemed significant enough to be specifically included in the NGC Registry set definition.
The normal mint mark on these coins is between 1.2 and 1.3 millimeters tall and is centered between the dot and the rim. The "S" on the Large "S" variety is 2.0 millimeters tall and based on the size and shape, appears to have been produced using the punch intended for the Fifty Centavo pieces of the same year. A 1918 S Medium "S" variety with a mint mark measuring 1.5 millimeters in height is also known to exist as well as a Small "S" variety of unknown height.
This particular coin is dark brown with hints of red and orange and is a high grade AU example of this rare variety.
Varieties
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ALLEN-2.16a - Large "S"
Medium "S," as yet uncataloged. The "S" mint mark measures 1.5 millimeters in height.
Small "S," as yet uncataloged. The mint mark size is unknown, but noticeably smaller than the normal "S."
Date acquired: 3/05/2005 (raw coin)
Date graded: 12/3/2010 (self submitted to NGC)
Rev. 12/9/2015