Do you know there are few 1976 bronze 1 sen found in circulation? For anyone who still don't know, only bronze variety for this coin is rare and have a high value. I don't remember if I show any of this coin before, on sell or in my friends collection. Normal copper clad steel only prize at least RM3 for uncirculated. Its not easy to get them and not easy to spot bronze coin. Someone suggest using magnet to differentiate copper clad steel from bronze. You just put together the 1 sen 1976 coin and look for coin that not attach for that magnet and that mean it is a bronze variety.
Photo: this are only normal 1976 coin.
Do you know how this bronze variety get out into circulation? Here is a story told by sifu Dickson Niew:
In 1973, when Bank Negara found out the production cost of the 1973 1 cent copper is higher than the face value,they decided to replace with copper-clad steel blank. As a result, half of the 1973 1 cent coins produced in copper-clad steel.In 1976,a staff of Bank Negara found some 1976 1 cent coins stuck in the coin counting machine.The coin counting machine was adjusted to detect only 1 cent coin in copper-clad steel in 1973. Apparently, 1 cent coin in copper-clad steel is lighter than copper blank and attracted to magnet.The staff took out those stuck coins and reported to his superior.They found out this coins was minted on copper planchet.A post-mortem was conducted by them.They traced it to the mint factory. Here are what they found out:when they clear the floor of the minting area which is full of all sizes planchets,they separated those planchet for future minting because each planchet is accounted for.However, they missed to separate the copper planchets form the copper-clad steel planchets for 1 cent coins. So when times to mint 1976 1 cent coins, this mixed planchets was used. Some of the planchets include this bronze variety.Malaysia Numismatic Society traced the owners of this rare coins. So far only 19pcs, mostly in UNC condition are known. We called this the Transitional Error. Current price, RM1000 offered. So far no seller.Latest news on 1976 one cent bronze, l was told by a collector (an ex-staff of Bank Negara) changed RM4000.00 worth of old one cent coins (equivalent to 400000 pieces),when finished checking, he found 4pcs of used 1970 one cent coin and lucky enough to find one piece of used 1976 one cent Bronze.If you know any owners of this rare piece,please update us to add into the list.
PS: It is 1 sen 1976 copper that people were looking for not bronze; 1976 1 sen copper or bronze?
