my mother got a 1985-d penny in her change the other day, and gave it to me since i collect. now ive looked at lots of errors on ebay and pther places but never one like this.. no pics yet but i will describe the best i can. it actually looks like the copper is wearing off and exposing the clad underneith the entire rim is steal nickel color and some of the letters are bare of copper and seem more worn then the rest of the penny the middle of the coins almost looks to have a double or weak die also im 90% sure its real and like i said ive never seen one. im wondering if its real or even a common error does anyone have one or even seen one before? is it a rare one? im new to this site and dont have a pic to post but if you would like the see a pic e-mail me a Mud322@msn.com and ill take a pic and send it
i guess i should also mention other then the clad spots and rim the penny has no wear on the head or the monument on the reverse the copper color is not even tarnished almost looks like it hasnt seen much circulation
Cents are not clad. Perhaps you are referring to the zinc core peeking through the copper plating. This can be caused by heavy wear, abrasion, or, occasionally, abnormally thin plating. The vast majority of cases are examples of post-strike damage/alteration.
I can't really think of a good definition for "clad" but wouldn't a coin with a zinc core and copper plating be considered "clad"? Whay or why not?
Clad is usually used to define the composition of the dime, quarter and half dollar. Because of the coating of "outer layers of copper/nickel bonded to an inner core of pure copper" (The Guide Book). The cent is not considered clad, because it is plated: "The core is 99.2% zinc, with .8% copper, with a plating of pure copper". (also, as defined by the Guide Book.) Frank
Thank you Frank! I've never seen those definitions before. It does sound a bit like the old you say potato and I say Potawto argument though. Plated, coating, bonded all sound like the same thing to me. Thanks again.
The cladding on Busness Strike, Post 1964 Quarters and Dimes and Post 1970 Halves are actually thin Copper-Nickel (.750 Copper and .250 Nickel) layers which are bonded to a pure Copper core. This is totally unlike the Copper plating over a Zinc core of some 1982 Cents and all Cents made from 1983 to present. The Other Frank
Clad coins consist of bonded measureable layers of metal which are mechanically squeezed together under such force that they stick to each other. The actual weight of each component metal is known, and is a significant percentage of the total weight. Plated coins have a solid core and a coating deposited molecule by molecule, which is too thin to measure without extremely sensitive instruments. The weight of the plating is an insignificant percentage of the total weight. If the core metal has a higher melting point than the outer metal, the core can also be quickly dipped in molten outer metal, resulting in a much weaker bond between the core and the covering, allowing the core to be seen through a slight scratch on the object's surface. Hardly "all the same" IMHO.
