Only because toning is considered environmental damage. But this kind of "damage" enhances these coins and can increase their value because of it. I would be willing to spend more on a nicely toned older woody showing it's full "wood grain" affect than a new one that still needs to go through the process of toning.
My best answer at this point... Usually a copper or bronze alloy which has a certain type of pattern in the (improper mix) which is enhanced by oxidation. Although it appears to be striations caused by cold extrusion, I haven't gotten that far. I'm concentrating on issues with a "woodie" being that it must be influenced by the environment in some way to acquire this effect, as you may see. I started this thread because I thought I had some sort of defect but could not call it on my own. It did not look like the "woodie" examples I have seen. (I mistakenly referred to missing clad as a possibility in the opening post). I was told consistantley that the appearance was due to "environmental damage". Some said improper alloy (woodie) plus environmental damage. I have since created an argument that if a woodie is caused by environmental "damage" or "exposure" whichever, that it can not be both since oxidation is an inherent contributing factor to the effect that gives an appearance resembling wood, "woodie". I've since been tortured with the notion that there are non oxidized examples with wood grain texture but are more difficult to spot. So I continue my argument to find the difference between woodie and environmental "damage".
Lets use Bronze as an example. First off you will not find any bronze ore on this planet. It takes properly combining copper and tin to make bronze. If this is done improperly you can come out with something that is showing part copper, tin and bronze in it's surfaces. Kinda like combining two different colors of paint and only stirring it a couple times. The top will still show the different colors. All three of these metals will tone differently in the same environment. This is the toning effect you see in woodies. There is also a scientific reason to the pattern that comes out. I believe this may have something to do with EM fields and its effects on the melting of metal. Not sure what this is called and I tried to look this up but could not find a good explanation of it so don't quote me on it.
It's toning. Copper does that. If you want to call toning, environmental damage, who cares. The environment made the coin tone. It's stupid to argue the point. The grading services don't call it damage. Get over it.
Inferring that my reason for a definition is stupid would be insulting. Inferring that arguing something that cannot be changed may be, but you could be a little more choosy with your words. I was told my coin had environmental damage from the beginning and woodies are commonly effected by the environment. I do not understand the contradiction.
I think I understand why this all went sideways. When folks called the coin environmental damage, that had nothing to do with the coin having the look of a woody. Two separate things. If you separate the two, there is nothing else to argue.
This Woody came from a roll grouping I purchased a few years ago, it was the only coin worth anything out of approx 15 rolls. At a dollar a roll I couldn't lose I figured I could resell them to my local shop for that. Needless to say I sent it in.
I have several pennies like that. I still have them and my wooden penny collection is yet still growing. They’re mostly Ds and mostly in 1959-1981 range.
It's hard to imagine a coin completely protected from the environment, even encapsulated examples fresh from the mint will have some environmental exposure because air exchanges somewhat within the capsule, and the metal of the coin interacts with the material of the capsule. When this reaches a point where the coin is deemed to be damaged, we call this "environmental damage". An improper alloy mix is just that, an improper alloy mix, not considered damage. The woody may have environmental damage, but that is secondary to the damage. Think about it, would a TPG grade a damaged coin...no, they would return it in a body bag.
