What happened here?

Discussion in 'Error Coins' started by Pickin and Grinin, May 13, 2025 at 11:31 PM.

  1. Pickin and Grinin

    Pickin and Grinin Well-Known Member

    Pocket change today. I have my opinions what are yours?
    upload_2025-5-13_21-29-45.jpeg
    upload_2025-5-13_21-31-30.jpeg
     
    SensibleSal66 likes this.
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  3. Spark1951

    Spark1951 Accomplishment, not Activity

    corroded from being left in a pool of soda pop.
     
    Randy Abercrombie likes this.
  4. SensibleSal66

    SensibleSal66 U.S Casual Collector / Error Collector

    dwhiz likes this.
  5. Dafydd

    Dafydd Supporter! Supporter

    It was in the Joker's pocket when he fell in the VAT.
    [​IMG]
     
  6. Randy Abercrombie

    Randy Abercrombie Supporter! Supporter

    I'm with @Spark1951 ..... Too many days in a hot car covered in soda pop goo.
     
    dwhiz likes this.
  7. Bill in Burl

    Bill in Burl Collector

    Yep, coca cola bath
     
    dwhiz likes this.
  8. Pickin and Grinin

    Pickin and Grinin Well-Known Member

    Not sure of the method that was used to remove the plating. It is altered. The coin is in acetone to remove the corrosion I will post another pic later. there should be evidence of the original plating somewhere.
     
    dwhiz likes this.
  9. Pickin and Grinin

    Pickin and Grinin Well-Known Member

    Here is an updated pick of the cent after acetone. My scale bounces from 2.4g to 2.5g.
    upload_2025-5-15_14-2-0.jpeg
    upload_2025-5-15_14-3-47.jpeg
    These coins are hard to verify even for the TPG's. They can be wrong at times. I think this one is self-evident though.
     
  10. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    The first problem is that cent was made of zinc.
     
  11. Pickin and Grinin

    Pickin and Grinin Well-Known Member

    Yes, that is the reason I posted the coin.
     
    SensibleSal66 likes this.
  12. Pickin and Grinin

    Pickin and Grinin Well-Known Member

    I think that the coin was subject to electrolysis. It shows as a dull coin even if circulated. The plating blisters are not a characteristic of a partial plated zinc cent, neither are the linear plating blisters.
    There is small evidence of copper plating on the 3rd side, mostly on raised areas
     
  13. Pickin and Grinin

    Pickin and Grinin Well-Known Member

    Ya know we used to have many folks that would treat a thread like this as an opportunity to teach, not for likes, just happy to pass on the knowledge that they have. If it is that we don't have those folks anymore, ones that will give their opinion of the coin, pro and con.
    Thanks to @Collecting Nut for saying that most Shield cents corrode and have problems, It's the same saying of every copper cent ever minted. Not meaning to point you out Collect but that was a short answer that jabbed at a legitimate find even if it is altered.

    It used to be Collective approach of opinions that made an answer, I miss it. Even if this is a Modern.
     
    Aarron and SensibleSal66 like this.
  14. -jeffB

    -jeffB Greshams LEO Supporter

    Can you post a photo of it next to a "normal" Lincoln cent? With the way cameras handle color balance, this coin's actual color could be almost anything. I thought you were just talking about the texture until you made the comment about "remove the plating"...
     
  15. Pickin and Grinin

    Pickin and Grinin Well-Known Member

    upload_2025-5-17_6-52-24.jpeg
     
    -jeffB likes this.
  16. -jeffB

    -jeffB Greshams LEO Supporter

    The thing about plating removal is that copper's so much less reactive than zinc. Harder, too. So almost anything that dissolves or removes copper will dissolve or remove zinc faster.

    I'm not sure how an electrolytic process could do any better.

    I'm aware of two chemical approaches. One involves cyanide, which is hard to get for obvious reasons. (I fuss a lot about access to chemicals being restricted, but not this one.) The other involves calcium polysulfide, which is easy to make, but stinks to high heaven. I might try the latter, but only when/if I can make it outdoors...
     
    J-Man likes this.
  17. Pickin and Grinin

    Pickin and Grinin Well-Known Member

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