What turns a penny brown?

I know I can look up online about this subject but im bored. My bank and other banks in my area closed their lobbies because covid is getting worse. I was getting $70 of quarters aweek from my bank now I cant. I know there is Red,Red Brown, and Brown pennies, maybe other colors,,, what makes a brown penny? Does a layer rub off? Pic below, is it starting to turn Brown? Again im bored.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Nothing wore off, just another layer developed over it. Oxygen is the culprit usually, although sulfur and other chemicals around it can react with the copper. New copper is called "Red", but as copper oxides develop over the years they -->RB-->Brown-->corroded ( or toned depending on on if they are buyer or seller) and then all sorts of damage. Jim

 

Toning depends on the environment the coins are stored in.

Maybe @desertgem can answer this. Does oxygen always have to be part of the mix in order for a coin to tone?

 

Sometimes jt turns green (a la Statue of Liberty), but in the case of modern coins brown is usually the end game

 

It depends on the recipe. Since many people like to have antique appearance in many other areas than coins. People who are successful at it usually have a chemical background. The attachment is an interesting group intent of understanding how to do this for industry, although they could really make interesting coins.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure...old-brown-b-violet-blue-c-blue_fig2_234863665

 

Thanks for the link. In my question I should have emphasized "Natural Toning".

 

Remember it ain't worth a red cent, I remember as a kid finding a dark red penny now and then , always thought it was kind of cool then I'd think must not be worth nothing

 

I'm also bored..

Here is a portrait of Lincoln made with 24,000 Red, Red Brown, Brown and Steel Cents


If you Google - Lincoln portrait made with pennies you will see many other examples!

 

Must have been bored to sort all those different colored Penny's

 

ah so that is where most of the steel cents are

 

Every see one of those copper pipes in a house? They're brown. Why? The air.

 

Boy, that describes me to a T. I'm bored too. LOL

 

My dad used to say "Boy, being bored you might as well be dead." Life is good think positive. Your mind brought you here didn't it enjoy!

 

Oxidation does not mean that Oxygen is involved. In chemistry, oxidation means a loss of electrons. This does not always have to involve Oxygen. Examples of other oxidizers include Fluorine, Chlorine, and Bromine.

Do not confuse the chemical process of oxidation with the chemical element Oxygen. Oxygen is a common oxidizer, but it is not the only one.

 

OIL RIG (Oxidation Is Loss of electrons, Reduction Is Gain of electrons) or LEO the lion says GER (Loss Electrons Oxidation - Gain Electrons Reduction)...I tutor by the hour

 

@GDJMSP is retired, maybe you can tutor him.

 

Nah, he wrote the book...

 

I have some beautiful Red Proof cents from the 1960s - I'm hoping that air-tites will keep them red.

 

Sometimes an oxidation layer can form that protects the surface from further oxidation.