Can anyone tell me if either of these quarters are missing clad coins?? If not what could be wrong with them. I have never seen quarters so dark.
The problem you might find with most any coin from circulation is that you have no way of knowing what environmental (or biological) factors may have affected the surfaces. With that said, the patina of these specimens doesn't seem unusual. They don't appear to be missing a clad layer. Chris
Thanks for that info. So there isn't a way for me to figure out what happened to these? I only will have access to circulated coins so does that mean I would never be able to tell if they are missing clad or something else altered them?
An easy way to get an idea of how a coin missing the clad layer might tone in circulation, you can look at how pre-82 Lincoln's tone in circulation, going from RD to BN. Coins with a clad layer would tone and look more like a Jefferson nickel that has circulated. Chris
these coins where mostly found like in the ground by someone with a metal detector ... the soil causes coins the copper in coins to change color because nickel and clad coins are mostly copper anyways.... here is a pic of some coins I found with my metal detector with 3 normal color coins ..see how dark they are .... just like yours
A coin with a missing clad layer will be about 25% light in weight. The color wil almost certainly not be the same on both sides due to the different metals. There may be some strike weakness due to the reduced thickness. If it was missing both outer layers (so the color WOULD be the same color) the weight would be 50% low and there would definitely be strike weakness.
To add to Conder's reply, the missing clad layer will expose the 100% copper core. Its coloring will be directly related to the amount of circulation it receive. Much the same as a typically circulated Lincoln might appear. Rarely, if even ever, will it simply look grayish black. Grayish black indicates some type of contamination of a CnClad coin. Whether its dirt, grease or chemical exposure, it simply will not look like a circulated cent.
I find coins that look like this every so often out in the yard. I find them where dog droppings deteriorated into nothing, leaving behind the coins they obviously swallowed. Same goes for coins found in the dirt while metal detecting, examples provided by those who metal detect.
