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1985 1 Cent zink coin without copper coating - manipulation or mint error?

Dear US coin collectors and enthusiasts,
today I was searching through some coins and found a 1985 zink 1 Cent coin wich seems to have no copper coating. Could this possibly be some kind of error or is it (more likely) a manipulated coin?
I've added some pictures, but they aren't very good. I'll try to take some better pictures tomorrow.
Thank you in advance and best regards!








Comments

  • FredWeinbergFredWeinberg Posts: 5,859 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Environmentally damaged surfaces – not an error, or struck on an unplanted zinc planchet

    Corrosion – the coin might have been buried in dirt for awhile

    Retired Collector & Dealer in Major Mint Error Coins & Currency since the 1960's.Co-Author of Whitman's "100 Greatest U.S. Mint Error Coins", and the Error Coin Encyclopedia, Vols., III & IV. Retired Authenticator for Major Mint Errors for PCGS. A 50+ Year PNG Member.A full-time numismatist since 1972, retired in 2022.
  • @FredWeinberg said:
    Environmentally damaged surfaces – not an error, or struck on an unplanted zinc planchet

    Corrosion – the coin might have been buried in dirt for awhile

    I am pretty sure that it's some kind of manipulation, but definitley no environmental damage. As a detectorist I have dug thousands of zink coins, but none of them looked like this.

  • JBKJBK Posts: 15,769 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Göttinger said:

    @FredWeinberg said:
    Environmentally damaged surfaces – not an error, or struck on an unplanted zinc planchet

    Corrosion – the coin might have been buried in dirt for awhile

    I am pretty sure that it's some kind of manipulation, but definitley no environmental damage. As a detectorist I have dug thousands of zink coins, but none of them looked like this.

    If you're not even going to respect the assessment of the foremost expert on error coins then why bother posting such a question?

    "Environmental Damage" covers a wide range of things, and your coin has it.

    You can speculate on the how but not on the what.

  • Thanks for your replies. Perhaps we had a different perception of what environmental damage means - for me this includes only natural influences wich were applied to a object without any intention of altering it. So a manipulation would be a process of intentional altering a object or at least expecting a object to change it's specifications due to exposion to a non-natural Environment by neglect.

  • JBKJBK Posts: 15,769 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Göttinger said:
    Thanks for your replies. Perhaps we had a different perception of what environmental damage means - for me this includes only natural influences wich were applied to a object without any intention of altering it. So a manipulation would be a process of intentional altering a object or at least expecting a object to change it's specifications due to exposion to a non-natural Environment by neglect.

    Even if you stick to that definition there are countless ways your coin could have ended up like that.

    You said that you have "dug thousands of zink coins", but have you dug them in every type of soil and sand, in every type of climate?

    There are also coins that languish at the bottom of a car's cup holder, on a garage floor, in a washing machine, etc. etc. etc. You are only limited by your imagination.

  • SanddollarSanddollar Posts: 157 ✭✭✭

    "Potty Penny"

  • coinbufcoinbuf Posts: 11,486 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Is this coin larger, and /or thinner than a normal cent? It could be a Texas cent, you didn't say and there is nothing in the photo to reference size, so just throwing that possibility out there.

    My Lincoln Registry
    My Collection of Old Holders

    Never a slave to one plastic brand will I ever be.
  • FredWeinbergFredWeinberg Posts: 5,859 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I said “might have been” in dirt

    I stand by my use of “environmental damage’’ regarding the surfaces of your coin.

    Retired Collector & Dealer in Major Mint Error Coins & Currency since the 1960's.Co-Author of Whitman's "100 Greatest U.S. Mint Error Coins", and the Error Coin Encyclopedia, Vols., III & IV. Retired Authenticator for Major Mint Errors for PCGS. A 50+ Year PNG Member.A full-time numismatist since 1972, retired in 2022.
  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 24,417 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Environmental damage, as others have said. It is not an "error" and is worth one cent.

    All glory is fleeting.

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