one cent.

niesha

hi everyone i have a cent that looks like a nickel just a little smaller but same color and it is 1980 any idea.

lordmarcovan

"Looks like a nickel", how? Of course it'll be a little smaller than a nickel.

niesha

dont understand you because the pennies i have seen is brown but thi one looks silver.

ldhair

Got a pic?

niesha

no.

niesha

can you tell me how to scan a photo. i am new to these things.

lordmarcovan

It's likely been plated in something. I also have heard that coins coated in mercury will get a silvery appearance, though I haven't seen it myself.

If it were a post-1982 cent, there's the chance it could have been struck without the outer layer of copper plating, showing only the zinc core, which has a silvery color. But since your coin is dated 1980, that isn't possible, as 1980 cents had no zinc core- they were struck in solid copper (bronze, actually).

niesha

thats why i find it strange and kept it.