Strange Penny

I have this strange 1982 cent that I have no idea what happened to it. I'm trying to get a picture (Probably tonight) but I thought I would try and developed some rampant speculation!

Anyway, I'm assuming this is a zinc cent from the look of it. The head is covered in bubbles, from the bottom of WE down to just above the bottom of his coat. The bubbles go complete from side to side. On the reverse the bubbles are confined to almost the exact ring of the text. Otherwise the cent looks like it came right out of the roll. Under 10x there does not appear to be any wear either above the bubbles or below them.

My first inclination is post mint damage, but how could you do damage like this without discoloring the coin? I was thinking that if you put a very hot source on the reverse, that might explain why the copper bubbled on the obverse, but I don't know.

I'll get pictures tonight,

Thanks,
David

 

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The copper plate and the zinc did not properly adhere.

The bubbling is very common, and ugly (generally).

 

Stippling is pretty common in these types of Lincolns of that year. Of all of the ones that I found in my roll searches, most have been 1982 and zinc (weighed them). As far as I can speculate, it was an issue with the lamination of the coin. Being the first year releasing the zinc mix maybe there was problems with the fomulation.

Funny depends on where those bubbles end up on Abe's face.

 

Yeah as stated it's a problem with layer adhesion. They seem to have pretty much worked out the kinks by the mid to late 80's but it's VERY common on 82s ,3s, 4s etc

 

Here are the pictures as promised.

I think you are right about the lamination error. I have always wanted one, and this one seems a great one.

Cheers,
David

 

Heat. Some one took a lighter to it? sre my thoughts, It is a zinc copper coated that got exposed to heat.

Is there any toning?

 

This coin has extreme bubbled clad layer. It's not rare to see this, but most are not this bad.

 

I'm inclined to agree with you.
Maybe a heat gun though.
There is no direct contact with a flame.

What makes me think this is the odd corrisponding marks on the obv and rev that looks like the utensil that was used to hold it, which disapated the heat in that area.

I could be seeing things though.

 

I dont see any signs of something used to hold it... lol

 

The coin is not damaged by heat, but is the victim of poor clad layer adhesion. Bubble lamintation is common in cents after 82' and I have a few from original BU roll like this.