Silver colored 1990 no mint mark penny

Is this a special penny? I’ve never seen anything like it. Here are some pictures.

 

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Welcome to Coin Talk. It would be helpful if you post larger photos on both sides of the coin, taken on a plain background. When you upload the photos click on full size and not thumbnail.

 

Thank you- I will do that.

 

I changed it to full size! Thank you!

 

That would be a cent with the copper removed. Since 1982 the mint has made cents with a zinc core covered with a thin layer of copper..... Place that cent in something soft and hit it with a hammer and the copper breaks away leaving what you have.

 

Two questions :

When you say something soft, such as ?

How many post-1982 pennies would I have to hit with a hammer in order to get a dollar's worth of copper?

 

Leather would be what is typically used. I would bet that cent is slightly larger in diameter than other cents as well. They are commonly referred to as Texas cents. The longer you hit the cent, the larger it becomes. As far as sellable copper? Geez, way more than the effort than it would take. I don’t believe the intent of making these is to get copper. More of a boredom thing. Rather like spooning nickels which was how I abused pocket change as a youngster. Just something to do.

 

A "war" cent: The Gulf War (2 August 1990 – 28 February 1991

 

This looks the same coin as in your other post.

 

lol. I should have added " lolol JK " at the end. I met a girl, in the late '80's, who made jewelry as a hobby. She showed me what happens to a newer penny when you apply a propane torch to it. For a while I enjoyed watching Lincoln pennies turn into a glistening glob of silvery zinc ! It was almost instantaneous. One moment you're heating a "copper" penny then, poof, you have a puddle of melted zinc. The copper just seems to disappear.