What did I just find?

I was searching through a box of nickels and I came across this 1977 nickel that looks like it is copper. Am I just seeing things or is this actually possible?

 

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Last picture unless someone wants me to take more.

 

Looks like it toned in a large pile of rust.

 

Yeah, it's just toned/colored unfortunately

 

Alright, that is what I assumed, but was hoping it was magically something better! =)

 

Environmental damage. Looks a lot likes ones I find metal detecting in grass.

 

I found an 85 the other day while looking through rolls.



I suspected it was either painted or poorly replated so I lighly scraped the edge with a knife and uncovered the original bright, shiney finish.
It does infact appear to be painted. you can also see some of the original nickel plating on the reverse where the paint didn't stick well.
Bummer

 

It looks to have full rims and proper size so it's probably not struck on a cent planchet or foreign planchet. You should confirm that it is the proper weight for a nickel. If it's the proper weight, then it is either some type of environmental damage or it could be a sintered planchet. Type sintered planchet into the CT search engine & you will find a couple posts on the subject. Here is one I posted:
http://www.cointalk.com/t143074/

 

Nickels are not plated. They are a uniform 75% copper / 25% nickel throughout.

 

dug out of the ground

 

My bad, wrong terminology. Should have said in simple terms "you can see where the paint didn't adhere (stick) to the original surface (finish). Non the less, the coin was painted, the other one is probably painted also.
Sheesh

 

Hello jbyers23

I searched "sintered" at CoinTalk & was referred to five pages of threads. Several of them have photos of nickels similar to yours.