1976 special penny ?

Question: Is there a 1976 penny with a liberty bell and usa map imprinted on the front?

My Answer: What you have is a coin that has been stamped by a private company with the images you described. It is usually done as a novelty giveaway or possibly sold by unscrupulous companies to unsuspecting novice collectors as a "collectible" at greatly inflated prices.

In the coin collecting community these coins are considered to be altered coins and are only worth face value.

1976 penny with IL state on front

by Maurica
(Cottageville, S.C.)

Question: I have a 1976 penny with Illinois state imprinted on the front above the year. Is this worth anything?

My Answer: This is also a novelty coin.

Is my 1986 penny rare?

by bradley nelson
(waxhaw, nc, us)

Question: I was wondering, I found a 1986 penny that has a picture outlining a state with IL in the middle of the picture, on the heads side in front Abraham Lincoln. Is it rare?

My Answer: The images that you describe have been added to the coin after minting, probably by a private mint. These coins are usually sold or given away as novelties.

Sometimes they are sold by unscrupulous companies to unsuspecting novice collectors as collectible coins at highly inflated prices.

They are a great conversation piece and there are probably people who enjoy collecting them, however, to seasoned collectors and the coin collecting community, they are considered to be altered coins, and are only worth face value.