It’s possible that at some point in its life it was harshly cleaned. Hard to tell, though, because it’s seen heavy circulation and looks like it has some environmental damage.
Just looks like heavy wear to me. But there's all kinds of possibilities. Time in a dryer, time underground, harshly cleaned, heavily worn etc.
That coin has been around the block more than a time or two. 25 cents (if a vending machine will take it)
Why would anyone want to put the effort into cleaning a bicentennial quarter? The mint made about a billion of them; easier to just go find one that doesn't need cleaning. The OP's coin has spent the past 40 years doing what a coin is supposed to do — circulating. It also may have been run over a few times by a bulldozer.
That coin has had a world of hurt inflicted upon it, and I don't think it's due to cleaning. Just general abusive 'wear'.........
