I got a 1987-D penny in change today that is covered with what looks like bubbles and is off centered alittle and double died on both sides , why the bubbles?And what might its value be?Its not new but it is still shinny.
Patience my friend. Sometimes no one who can answer a question happens to see it immediately, and most of the members here believe in the policy of not saying anything unless they have something useful to say. As is true of so many questions like yours, any comment on "why", or "how much" would be sheer guesswork without at least a clear picture of the coin in question. Since you are talking about a US cent dated 1983 or later (or a type 2 1982 cent) the most likely cause of "bubbling" is corrosion affecting the zinc under the copper plating. Probably the most common cause of a bubbly surface appearance on a coin is that the piece is a sand casting, but that's not too likely in the case of a cent.
I can get lots of bubbles making my rainbow cents with the blow tourch if you leave it on a second too long, post a photo and I can tell you if they are from that or not.
The bubbles that you refer to are probably as a result of the plating process. Normally, no additional value.
I'm not sure if I am talking about the same thing, but I have always noticed that the new post-1982 cents up to about 1989 often have a very rough, bubbly surface. I don't even have to look at the date to know the coin is from this time period. It is as distinctive as the high relief lincolns from the 1950's to 1968.
it might be from the zinc corrosion underneath the copper plating... i've had many coins i set aside thinking they were something and ended up just spending...
