What went wrong here?

I'm hoping someone may be able to tell me what went wrong with these coins and how to prevent it from spreading to the rest of this album. The 2 coins below these seem to be turning in the same way. Thankfully, they're fairly recent coins, so it should be no problem to replace them, but I'd like to make sure it doesn't happen again.



Thanks!

 

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I am going to stick my neck way out on a limb here so if anyone wants to chop it off, please do so kindly..my memory is not what it once was.. I think after 1982 the 1 cent coins were made with a Zinc core..it is simply a chemical reaction with copper coated zinc.

Now everyone can proceed with their Axe's..

RickieB

 

RickieB is right about the zinc core, but the reaction was with water. You need to store them VERY dry places. I doubt it will spread, per se, but the others of later dates will be likely to get it also - unless they are VERY dry.

 

Yep, 1982 was the year they changed and looks like a bad moisture where you are storing them.

 

Yep, I agree...moisture...you havent been storing these, or have in the past, in an unfinished basement?
Im wonderinf if putting those folders in an airtite container with silica packs will help in the future

 

Thanks all. Judging by the light fading of the board around those couple coins, I wonder if a drop of water or a wet finger might have touched that part of the folder at some point. That makes me feel better that if I replace those couple of coins it likely won't happen again or spread to the others. I'm definitely storing them in a much better place now that I have previously.

 

Now were those stored in the same album??

 

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. It's 4 coins out of an almost full Whitman 1975+ folder. The few damaged coins are neighboring.

 

I would also add that they had major problems getting the copper to stick to the zinc when they started this process. They gradually managed to work out the problems. Point being that every minor separation would be the most susceptible area for the corrosion to begin. Therefore, the closer they are to 1982, the more likely they will be to corrode. That is not to say the later dates will not corrode.

 

That's very interesting, thanks for noting that.

 

yea i was gonna say water soon as i saw the images.

 

I'm going to throw this out there. I started collecting coins when I was a kid in the early 1990s and my father bought me some Whitman folders (folders being the operative word). I stored the folders in a bottom desk drawer in my bedroom and stopped collecting around 1996 and started again in 2004. Long story short, when I went back to the folders my clad Rosies and post 1982 Lincolns had quite a few "Green Cauliflower coins" (as I call them). You can infer from here.
As far as climate is concerned; I live in central New Jersey about 10 mins from the shore. Any input would enlighten me further.

 

Im not sure what green cauliflower may look like, but I do know storing coins in wood is a no-no.
Think there's a connection there?

 

Why is wood a no-no? I can understand a damp basement, but not sure why a wooden drawer by itself would be bad.

Thanks!

 

Wood puts off gases that can harm your coins.

 

I did not know this. Maybe it is time for me to get a decent safe!

 

That's likely copper sulfate. It forms in those folders with copper and the addition of water. I've noticed it most prominently in the modern Lincoln cent Whitman folders. I have quite a few of these sets that have corroded in this manner.

You won't have much luck reversing the damage. Just get a modern folder, or a plastic holder, and keep them away from moisture.

 

Yes, but doesnt wood take many many MANY YEARS, to effect coins??? Would air-tites have fixed the problem or only slowed the problem, do to the wood or the moisture<<---I like that question because I am possibly going to buy air-tites......

 

Great to know. Thanks!

 

The green cauliflower was a joke on my part, the reason I called it that is because the corrosion was green and looked like it was bubbling on the surface of the coin when viewed under a loupe.

That is what my understanding is, wood takes a Loooooooong time to effect coins with Cedar being one of if not the worst.

Anyway, I switched to Danscos with slipcovers when I got back into collecting, I was never a fan of folders.