Please let me know if questions like this should be posted in a different section. Im not concerned about any value necessarily but more about "what is or isnt" certain things. I got a roll of pennies today from WF. Nothing spectacular but 2 wheat pennies..then again, I could get something worth alot and wouldnt know it. The penny in this picture stuck out like a sore thumb in the roll because its was very shiny. When I looked at the date I had to look twice because I figured a 60 year old penny would be alot older looking. My questions is what is that green crap I see through my scope all the time? Is that the way copper ages or something? Also, double die would be extremely obvious correct? thanks again and if there is a better section for general questions like this please let me know.
The green stuff forms on copper. It's called "verdigris." Sounds like a disease, I know. Anyway, it was used to make green paint color. Now to the question you're not necessarily concerned about but then you'd hate to miss something worth a lot, lol, that cent isn't a lot more that a cent. And that's just the way it is.
Welcome to CoinTalk. General questions about coins usually go to Coin Chat while those specifically about US coins are best addressed in the US Coins forum. If I were to guess, this would probably be best in the Coin Chat forum, but the only penalty for putting it in other forums would be some member being sarcastic. BTW that green stuff is verdigris and will consume the whole coin eventually and any others it touches. In the ancient coin family it is referred to as Bronze Disease.
I occasionally come across a 59 in nice shape. Sometimes people realize they aren't worth anything and they spend ones they have been saving. People probably hoarded them the first year of the design change. So there are plenty in good condition. Sometimes it's shiny because someone shined it and ruined it. Other times it is shiny because it still has retained some original mint luster.
Thanks again so much. I just learned more in 2 minutes than would have taken an hour worth of Google. I'm learning to distrust or at least keep skeptical of stuff outside this forum. This penny could have an interesting history... probably boring sitting in a pouch somewhere for 55 years until grandma needed bingo money one day. So you think it could have machine doubling? It looks soooo minor but I can see just barely like a ripple or layers on some of the numbers. I want to get good at spotting it correctly. I don't want to put spendable stuff in my good jar! I am keeping this one though just because my Dad was 9 when it was made and it was first year memorial etc. kind of cool to me personally plus I'm just getting into this so I need something for the keeper jar! Can't have that thing empty!!
I'm going to go look in the FS and buy an error coin from a member to contribute. There's gotta be something cheap in there that would be cool to have.
Welcome to CT It appears to be a nice circulated 1959 Cent are you seeing something I'm not it would also help if you would create your own post, be sure to take a pic both sides of coin and then state your question. IMO Dave
Why? If it were a Wheat back it would be a fake like the only example in existance. And that one is not worth a fortune.
