Can someone explain how this can happen?

millennium

This indian cent is copper colored as you would expect on the obverse, but on the reverse, it looks like it's copper nickel?? What causes that?

jbsteven

somebody monkeying with it maybe?

K6AZ

I seen red Lincolns and Indians like that before - they came out of cardboard albums.

Prometheus183

Long term album strorage is my guess. Chemicals used in the paper process can have different effects on metal over long term exposure.

K6AZ

I don't know about anyone else, but to me, that looks really nice. I'm not good at grading Indian Cents, but that mellowed out orange on the obverse looks nice. Does the reverse have any nice colors? Looks like it might along the periphery.

millennium

It's got some color around the rim..but it pretty much looks like the pics posted...It is just odd to me how it can be so different on the reverse.....

K6AZ

I think that occurs due to the reverse being in contact with the paper/cardboard in the bottom of the hole. Still I think it's a good looking coin.

originalisbest

Not sure how to feel about this coin - mebbe either way - I'd prefer shylock, or lakes weigh in on this one, with their lotsa experience with red copper.

1234567890

I've seen a couple of cleaned IHC that look like your reverse.