Howdy all, Just curious: I was looking through some change a day or so ago, pickin' out the cool colored cents and what not. I found this 1991P Lincoln cent. I looked at it through my 16x, and noticed the below. \/ What's with the small edges around the date? I also saw some of the edges around the letters on the obverse. Info please. At least I can say that the photo is amazing. Thanks, Aidan
Those "edges" you are seeing is plating displacement. Lincoln cents from (part of) 1982 and onwards were copper plated zinc. The copper plating is very, very thin.
Another effect you see on plated cents, especially with the earlier coins are air bubbles between the zinc and copper. I bought this example specifically because it was one of the bubbliest ones I've seen.
