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2003 penny discoloration

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2012 3:44 pm
by Fire
Can anyone explain this penny discoloration?

Image

Re: 2003 penny discoloration

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 3:32 am
by Bill in Burl
Is it raised or recessed? It looks like someone plated it, either electro or dipping, and it has partially worn off.

Re: 2003 penny discoloration

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 2:09 am
by Fire
The brown color is actually over the silver color, it seems that the brown color has been wearing off. Hope this makes sense...

Re: 2003 penny discoloration

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 4:02 am
by Bill in Burl
From 1997 through 2006, the Mint used copper-plated zinc planchets, then started experimenting with copper-plated steel planchets; Since then, you find lots of discussions about magnetic and non-magnetis coins of various denominations... zinc being non-magnetis (as is bronze or copper) and steel being magnetic.

What you have is a normal 2003 one cent that has the copper plating flaking off and the zinc core showing through. The mint evidently didn't get the "plating" portion of the process done right. Although, I've not seen a coin like yours, I think that it would be very common .. you would have to ask a small cent collector or roll-hunter. To put it kindly, if the Mint actually had to sell their finished products on the open commercial market, they would go bankrupt due to product quality and quality control for their circulating coinage.

Re: 2003 penny discoloration

Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 9:34 am
by Fire
Thanks a lot!