1954 D A different color? Why?

1954 S I'm asking you guys and gals about why this penny is a different color? The one in the middle. I showed it against two of my other wheats to show color difference. I didn't use any chemicals on it like I was told by someone else. But maybe someone else did I don't know.

 

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Plated?

 

I wanted to add that I found it in a roll of pennies like this.

 

The yellow “brass color” may be due to a higher than normal zinc content (“The color of brass varies from a dark reddish brown to a light silvery yellow depending on the amount of zinc present; the more zinc, the lighter the color.”), so the only way to verify that your cent is an error would be by XRF scan. Also, note that there is a procedure for chemical toning to Golden Yellow using Cupric Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, and Potassium Permanganate.

 

if newly minted cents were put into an album and stored away from all human contact they all would tone *similarly* .. but probably not exactly a like.

When coins are put into circulation you simply do not now what has happened to them. One cent could have accidentally been dropped in a sewer, and them at some point picked up by a sewer guy. Then could have been thrown into an old fungus ridden wishing well, then cleaned out and end up circulating through the money supply for a while. Could have fallen to the floor in a public bathroom and gotten icky. Could have been cleaned by a variety of means during it's way through circulation, placed in a cup holder where it was subjected to years worth of soda pop acid ... and more than once. Could have been subjected as a high school chemistry experiment to change its color with certain chemicals. Who knows, right ?

and who knows, kinda looks plated. it could have been done in a high school experiment a long time ago, or even bought like that ... they still do it too.

 

Yeah if it was chemically toned it wasn't me. I've never even heard of those words before and I don't think I can pronounce the last word. Lol. I dropped out of high school then got a GED and went to Community College. I never elected to take chemistry.

 

But I guess it's possible it was a science experiment penny that ended up in circulation.

 

Harshly cleaned.

 

I throw you another curve ball. I was guilty of inflicting this damage as a youngster..... A simple pencil eraser will shine the dickens out of an old copper cent but it leaves the old cent a very odd color. Usually very, very pink.... But I am with @Michael K and believe your cent has just been subjected to some crazy cleaning process over the course of its long life.

 

I didn't clean it I learn in the very beginning not to clean coins so I've never done it.

I'm beginning to think this penny is just bad luck. Watch something bad will happen. I'm going to throw it right back into circulation.

 

Oddly, i do clean gunky coins before they go back in circulation. I've kept some and they end up turning into nasty colors. Oh well. Too bad.

 

I didn't say you cleaned it.
Someone did before you got it.

 

Toning, the environment, plated or a higher metal content than intended are a few of the reason the color is off. I'm sure other members listed different reasons. There are so many to choose from.