How does this happen to a penny?

Hmm. This wouldn't happen at the mint, what the heck would do this?

 

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@Tski90

The environment! We pump so much garbage into it on a daily basis, what should you expect.

Chris

 

They look like most of the Zincolns I get in change.

 

Abuse, environment.

 

Remember that the Copper Plated Zinc Cents is basically doomed if the elements get to it. The plating is so thin that once the Zinc underneath is exposed just a little.. Deterioration and Rot occurs!

 

So the pits basically started out as a knick or whatever and the rotted out from underneath? It looked like some chemical had been dropped on. Pretty wild. Thanks for the knowledge.

 

That 1990 has a floater roof, it's a keeper.

 

looks like a parking lot find

 

Zinc being what's used for galvanizing steel, I would have though that it would hold up better in the environment.

 

Zinc makes for lousy coins

 

The point of the zinc on galvanized steel is that the zinc corrodes more readily and in doing so protects the steel from corroding. (The corroding is an electrochemical reaction.) They use sacrificial zinc anodes on ships for the same reason. The zinc corroding helps protect the steel of the ship or the bronze propellers.

 

Making coins from copper-plated zinc is like building cars with the driver's seat on the front of the hood, and the bumper inside behind the airbags.

I have strong opinions about Zincolns.