I have posted in the other groups also. I would like informations on a 1989 penny that looks to be made of something other than the normal. The penny has ridge edge, is slightly larger than a normal penny, pewter in color. I have placed three photos. Thanks for any help!
Well it is a little hard to determine from the photo. Can you post a photo side by side with another lincoln. Measurements would also help. Weight would be a great help.
I have added a side by side photo. The coin is a little heavier than a regular cent by the pencil and popsicle stick test. The words and detail are higher off the coin the normal and there is a slight "bow" to the center of the coin toward the face side. Just the center not the rim edge. There is no common thickness to the coin. The rim around a regular cent..that is the amount that it is larger in diameter.
Well unfortunately I can't say for sure without actually seeing the coin. My first guess would be someone painted the coin. For whatever reason this is pretty popular. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
It does not appear to be coated with Silver mercury as were many older Cents,it was a very bad and unhealthy experiment in the 50's & 60's. Your Cent looks like it has seen alot of circulation,a warning signal. The Copper plating sometimes gets skipped creating a unplated error. I don't believe this is the case with your coin though.The Copper plating can be reverse electroplated off of the Zinc center and I think this is probably the case here.You should probably get someone with knowledge of errors to examine this coin in person.I don't think that any certification service will touch it since it's circulated.Sorry I can't offer better news, but this is a fairly common problem. ~ Jim
I came on here looking for the same info on two pennies that are similar to the one extramoney has inquired about. The dates on the two I have are 1992D and 1996. As stated before, these are slightly bigger. I can set a regular penny just inside the border of the odd coins. The coins on edge have raised edges and the center is indented. Sorry, I don't have any photos to share. Extramoney says his is heavier, mine seem to be a bit lighter. I haven't actually weighed them, but they feel lighter.
Hard to say, brewfan. For some reason, people love to do things to coins, and if it can be done, it has been done. The chances of your coins being altered, as opposed to being genuine Mint errors is enormously great. Try having a coin dealer or an experienced collector look at them.
I think it looks a lot like the reproductions of the 1909 S VDB's that they have on e-bay....As for why it's that color, I do not know, maybe on the repro's they do in fact look like that till they are coated...
Looks like the copper plating was removed. If it were a legit lincoln with the copper plating missing it would have a different look to it. Your coin looks corroded and in my opinion that is a major sign that it was dipped in some kind of liquid that ate the copper plating off. Jason
I also have a 1989 copperless penny I found in some spare change. The biggest clue, IMHO, to the copper being removed after minting is the "ridged edge". If a copperless zinc planchet was minted, the zinc should be pressed all the way out to the collar, giving it a more normal looking smooth edge. Hmmmm......same date, both on the east coast, I wouldn't be suprised if both our coins were stripped by the same person. Fun oddity at any rate.
Mine doesn't. Don't know about the originator of this thread. Oh, and I just thought of another way to describe the edge....its shaped like the ] bracket key. I will try to get a picture of mine to post soon.
1993 - D large noncopper bowel strike , double strike , if it's real and if it's not , theres mint is as good as the usa mint ; 9 years research on my cent the double rim & letters point to TEST cent at mint , testing the material the mint leaves the usa portrit and if the material passes all test then they disasenble the usa equipment which save time and money , the mint then make coins for ofter countrys , good hunting on yours have fun and don't get your hope up intill you find out for sure . One day i will link in and up load my pictures. THANK YOU ROY
Hi, Without seeing the coin, it is tough to tell. t is particularly tricky in that it is easy to remove the copper plating from the post 1982 cents. Remember that in 1982, there were two compositions for the cents. This was the year that they switched from the traditional "bronze alloy" cent to the copper-plated zinc cents. I put two pics up. One is of a real error cent that was missing the plating. It is im Uncirculated condition. All the details are clear, there is no evidence of tampering and the color is the correct light colored lustrous "gray". The second coin is one that is circulated that I believe to be a genuine error missing the copper plating. The lettering is clear and does not appear to be tampered with. The surface is not pitted which often occurs when the plating is removed. The letters on the coin in the question appear to be a little broader than usual on the obverse and that may mean that the copper was removed by a mechanical means. There also seems to be some remnants of copper still on the edge of the coin, which also looks to be tampered with. Still without a closer look, the coin in question may be legit. It's probable though that it is not. Have Fun, Bill
Hi Roy again my large 1993 - D , DD stirke non copper cent in my rescearch found that or read on a sight that some coins been raped with a ban and charge with voteage to remove the copper still don't explane the DD strike on letters , well still having fun looking at all that can be found on errors . THANK YOU AGAIN Roy
There may be another option. Using electroplating a person can add zinc to the surface of a copper penny. By doing this the penny begins to look exactly like Bills second picture, or very much like a 1943 cent. The process is not hard and has been discussed before at this forum. Just search for electroplating or zinc cent. I hope your coin is a true error but the chances are slim, Morgan
If the copper has been removed from the coin - wouldn't it be lighter instead of heavier than a normal cent?
