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1985-D Lincoln Cent: What caused it to have silver tone?

Is this the result of some science class experiment? I am pretty sure there is some zinc rot going on here but I have no idea why there is silver tone, at first I thought it was spray paint.
It weighs approx. 2.52 grams and it is not magnetic..
I would appreciate any info on this 😁



Comments

  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 23,898 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Buried, chemically cleaned.

    All glory is fleeting.
  • CRH4LIFECRH4LIFE Posts: 849 ✭✭✭✭

    There were science experiments in some school that made some penny’s appear silver. This just looks spray painted to me. Either way not natural lol

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It looks like a coin that has been in the ground or parking lot and exposed to the elements for some time... Cheers, RickO

  • HemisphericalHemispherical Posts: 9,370 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Goog and Y-tube have the process and ingredients needed to understand how it’s done

    Why is it done?

    -Science experiments (in a school), and had to write a science paper.
    -Fraudsters to have novices spend hard currency for a chemically altered cent that is worth a cent.
    -Have a conversation piece in a forum.
    -Saw the aforementioned Y-tube videos and asked mom and dad for all their “pennies” and tried it themselves. No science paper written and does not understand the chemical process and just thinks its k00l. Showed mom and dad the shiny silver/golden “pennies” and eventually the cents ended up on a forum with the question....

  • OldhoopsterOldhoopster Posts: 2,930 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It looks like a post mint plating experiment that was put back into circulation. The void on the reverse looks like the added plating and standard copper plating was peeled off resulting in exposure of the Zinc core. The area below the MM just looks like damage or zinc rot.

    Regardless of how the color got there (plating, paint or ???), it happened after it left the mint and has no additional value. Spend it before it completely rots away :D

    Member of the ANA since 1982
  • MiBellitaMiBellita Posts: 45 ✭✭

    Thanks again everyone 😄

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