Hello all, new here. Looking for assistance with this coin I found. Please see photos...and before you tell me it's just "normal wear" please link me to somewhere that I can clarify that wear and tear can be this uniform. not meaning to be rude, just exasperated with how many people will just tell me in the shortest way possible what they think it is without any confirmation. Thanks in advance. OH and as for the photos -- the ones that look the darkest are closest to the color. Its a DEEP matte brown.
Guessing environmental damage. Maybe rain and sun had a part in turning it dark. Could have been in the ground would be my 2nd guess. Not an error.
It says the inner core is pure copper, the outer layers consist of 12% zinc, 7% manganese and 4% nickel. I guess that mix causes different chemical reaction to environmental exposure. its impossible for someone to know what your coin has been exposed to, we call that damaged or PMD because one thing is for sure, it did not look that way when it was new. If there is an error there is no indication.
The coloration is due to environmental damage. It is not an error. As others have said, this composition discolors very quickly. That being said, there are no links to show examples PMD such as environmental damage, rims dings (your coin has these as well) and others. There are just too many ways for a coin to be damaged after it left the mint. However, there are sites that explain the various types of errors and varieties. Some of these also explain the minting and die making process. The key to identifying errors is learning the minting process. Here are some to bookmark. www.error-ref.com www.doubleddie.com www.varietyvista.com Finally, you may be wondering how people can know it’s damage when giving a short answer. Many here have been collecting and studying the minting process for decades. They’ve looked at thousands and thousands of coins and understand how errors occur so they can easily spot something the couldn’t been produced at the mint. In addition, Coin Talk has enough experienced members that any post that gives inaccurate info will get corrected quickly. Hope this helps
First, welcome to the neighborhood @Quirkykid329 ! Now that we have dispensed with the pleasantries, you should know that the 2000 Sac dollar was plagued with discoloration problems during the first year of production. The early releases had a tendency to turn a puke, greenish-brown, and it was believed that it was due to an improper rinse. The Mint finally got that problem resolved. As for "normal wear" being an unsuitable response for you, I can only suggest that you learn how to grade coins. Then, you might be able to understand what is meant by "normal wear". Have a nice day! Chris
Just to clarify...when I said I was looking for "confirmation" when given a response, I meant resources that I could access so that I could learn more and understand why it is what it is. I like research, but without having any "coin knowledge" I could only find so many sites that referenced these coins, and even then I don't know who is reputable and who isn't. Thanks for the responses!
there are plenty of sites, did we not provide the information you seek. when you say why it is what it is, does not require coin knowledge. perhaps some chemistry knowledge. as far as why it turned that color. here is more about it. https://sacagaweadollarguide.com/ wiki is always a good source for basic info aswell. I don't know of any books that address post mint damage. basicly you put one beside an undamaged one.
You are correct that sometimes, many give a quick, short answer. The answers above though are pretty good and correct. Because there are an infinite number of ways a coin can change over time, there are really no sites to be recommended that could easily answer the question of how your coin came to be as such. Rest assured that it did not come from the Mint that way though. It is environmental, no question.
Your coin has been exposed to the environment and has colored darkly due to the metals in the coin. It is considered damaged but still spendable at face value. All good comments above so I will not repeat. Welcome to CT.
