1931 S Lincoln Cent - Real or Fraud? 0

[Kay!]

Hi Everyone,

I just came across this 1931 Lincoln Cent with an S mint mark - from what I'm reading these aren't too common in worn condition and it is a coin that is often faked. I managed, after a good amount of time - haha - to get a close up of the edge where it leads to the mint mark - I saw some information on mint marks being "embossed" but I don't see any obvious evidence here for that. I also read of them being removed and added from another coin or having the year changed - from what I can tell I don't see any tool marks or color differentiation. 

NGC price guide has this at $70 for PrAg for "Brown" 

I would like to be more confident that if I send this in to get graded/verified etc I'm not wasting my money or worse if I posted it on Ebay and accidentally mislead someone by posting it as a 1931 S and cause them to waste their money.

My questions:

• In you opinion do you think this coin would be considered RB or BN? 
• Do you mind putting an eye on this mint mark and letting me know if you see anything that seems off/fraudulent? 
• What are your thoughts on value and if this would be worth sending in? 

Thank you in advance - Kay

[Coinbuf]

The shape and placement of the mintmark look ok, overall I don't see any red flags or concerns about it being genuine.  Grade I would place it as VF25 and the value raw maybe $25ish, perhaps $45 if sent in for grading.  I would not bother sending this coin in myself from a value standpoint, however, having it graded and slabbed might make it easier to sell on a platform like ebay.

Edited August 2, 2020 by Coinbuf

[Just Bob]

A. Definitely BN

B. Looks like the real deal, to me.

C. I am going to offer a slightly more optimistic estimate of value than Coinbuf. Based on recent Ebay sales, I think you could get $60 to $75 raw.

[RonnieR131]

I knew there was a reason I hadn't destroyed this counterfeit yet. Compare. Edit: The 'S' mintmark is fake, added on this one.

Edited August 3, 2020 by ronnie stein
'S'

[DWLange]

The coin illustrated by Ronnie Stein appears to be a genuine 1931 cent but having an added mintmark of a style not used before 1941.

[James_OldeTowne]

It appears to me the OP coin is genuine as well.