I have this dime it is a copper rose color. I do not think it is copper it is attracted to a magnet. I have never seen anything like it. I guess an appraisal is my next move. Does anyone have any info on such a dime?
We would need pictures. Usually clad dimes take on a copper look when they've been exposed to the elements. They almost always look like this if they've been outside on the ground for a while. People who metal detect find these all the time.
At the risk of repeating myself, please provide the coin's precise weight and dimension. Also include a clear, closely cropped photo of the obverse, reverse, and edge. With this information, we may be able to help identify what you have. If you are interested in reading about similar items, you may search CoinTalk for the subjects of "missing clad layers", "sintered planchet", etc. BTW, it is not possible for a cent blank to be fed into a machine that makes dimes. The cent blank is too large to fit into the dime machine used at the mint. As jallengomez has stated, there is high probability that your dime was simply in an environment (outside of the mint) that simply turned it to a copper color. This environmental damage is typical of clad coins that have spent time underground.
Looks like environmental damage. That's exactly the look of a clad coin that has spent some time in the ground.
It is in such good shape. No pitting or scratches every groove is that color. My 94yr old father said it has been in a box for a long long time. Need a good appraiser!
Hello Loreta, I would agree with jallengomez assessment that the 1969D dime appears to have environmental damage. I'm assuming that this 1969D coin has this color on both the front & the back & the sides. It probably weighs close to what a normal clad dime should weigh (2.27 grams). This diagnostic is why I asked you for the precise weight of your coin. Here is an interesting YouTube video that describes a high school chemistry experiment that turns normal copper cents to silver or gold colors. www.metacafe.com/watch/428318/make_gold_and_silver_pennies A normal copper cent should weigh 3.11 grams. If you weigh your 1976D silver colored cent, it probably weighs exactly what a normal 1976D copper cent would normally weigh. If that is the case, then it is simply plated & it also has some common stamps on the surface. The chemistry experiment can be done on any copper Lincoln cent dated between 1909 and 1982 because they are made of copper. You can read more about the common stamps that are made on Lincoln cents if you search for old threads here at CoinTalk. There are some folks that collect the Lincoln cents with the state stamps on them. Other folks consider them to be damaged coins. The Lincoln cents with stamps on them can sell for a small premium (like a few dollars). Sorry that you probably didn't strike it rich with these coins but I hope we have been some help to you.
Thank you You have been very helpful. I am not a collector. I have had these around the house for years. Thought why not look into them. Thanks again
