Heat damage can cause bubbles or blisters on coins.
ifthevamzarockin
Posts: 8,498 ✭✭✭✭✭
We get several post per year asking about a bubble or blister on a coin that turns out to be heat damage. I found both of these in a roll. It would appear to be heat damage and my guess is a car fire. I have seen and smelled quite a few cars that burned and these quarters smell just like that. It was not my car that burned and I did not heat these coins so I can't say 100% that this is heat damage. I think most will agree they look like they have been in a fire. I did a before and after a little cleaning photos. I wanted to clean them a bit to get a little better photos. The first one is a rather large bubble that is one sided and did not distort the reverse of the coin, the second one there is a bubble on both sides. It is easy to understand how a newer collector would think this is some type of error. I am kinda curious about what it looks like inside the bubble and don't know if anyone has cut one open. I can't decide if I want to try to cut, drill or grind but will post additional photos if I do anything.
Do I need to call Dr. Pimple Popper before I start? 
Comments
Smack it with a hammer, the bubble will go back down and you can spend it without getting funny looks -
Sometimes I think that animals are smarter than humans, animals would never allow the dumbest one to lead the pack
That would make it much harder to cut it open & see what's inside.
I'm kinda thinking the mint may have hidden a cool surprise in there for me.
The same effect can be created using a torch on a coin. This is more likely to occur with a clad coin.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
Dremel time. Variable speed if possible
🎶 shout shout, let it all out 🎶
That’s the rare Washington Carbuncle variety
Mr_Spud
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Kind of the result I expected.
The coin with the large bubble it looks like the outer nickel separated from the copper core the, bubble was between the layers.
The coin with the smaller bubble it looks like the bubble was in the copper core layer.
Washington..”It’s not a toomah!”
I agree with your assessment of heat damage. Rather extreme.... More common to separate at the layers, though impurities could cause it to happen at other points. Cheers, RickO
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Be careful @ifthevamzarockin 🤣😝🤣
this sound REALLY funny if you picture Arnold S. saying it!
i did find an ike at a show that was unc-ish in a tub of ikes with a big "bubble" like that and showed it to someone that has experience in esoteric items like many of us are into and while it looked legit to me though i'd really only seen one other error like that previously, he also confirmed it was a legit error and paid me $50 which was fine by me at the time since i paid $1-2.
SO, if you find some of these out there, until it is confirmed 100% that there are no errors that can/do exist like this, if you come across one where the coin doesn't look suspicious (minus the bubble), set it aside. odds are low but they may be out there.
that may be a good suggestion to some of these artists making coins into engineering and artistic marvels that have moving parts, puzzles to them!
😂🤣😅😝 that’s a good one👌 I love doing Ahnold impersonations👍👍😎 get to the choppah
Great post Vamz. Very interesting. If you ever run into one of these again, try cutting it in half across the diameter of the coin, cutting the coin completely in half. That way you could better see the process of separation. Thanks, I have never seen this or even thought of doing this. Thanks.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
[If you ever run into one of these again, try cutting it in half across the diameter of the coin]
DON'T do it - I 've seen too many Hellraiser movies to know what happens -
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
But I don't ever watch that stuff.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain