I was clearing out my purse today and found a yellow 1996 penny. I assume it is a proof that got into circulation. I have seen a 1953 proof partially turn yellow before and figure this 1996 penny had the full yellowing effect. Just wondering why penny proofs turn yellow.
It could have been toned but definitely not painted. It still has one lone red spot on the reverse. The 1953 proof definitely was not toned but had a yellow streak on it. What is interesting though is some of the other yellow pennies written about on this forum are from 1996. Could a batch of 1996 coins be incorrectly minted?
I think these types of coins are called Yellow Jackets. The modern cents are made of zinc and are then plated with copper. Occasionally when the copper plating is being applied to the zinc, the two mix together which makes a kind of brass like coin.
It's simply one of 3 things: 1) chemically damaged 2) a science experiment 3) an actual brass plated planchet from the mint The first 2 make it worth 1 cent, the last one makes it worth a buck or two on a good day.
Hi everybody. I also have one of these "yellow jacket" Lincoln Cents. Mine is a 1978, in okay condition. I'd so appreciate any input about this coin. I'll post pictures so you can all see. Thank you. 7uj
Also, I have some other Lincoln Memorial cents that appear to be quite different from the usual suspects, lol!! As you can see, this coin is very dark, almost black. Notice that where the worn, rubbed spots are, it's a lighter silver color underneath. Can anyone share any knowledge about this coin?? Thank you.
Hey Alison. Often these old regurgitated threads don’t get noticed. Start a new thread and you will stand a better shot at getting some replies.
https://www.sciencecompany.com/Turn-Copper-Pennies-Into-Silver-and-Gold-Pennies.aspx When the zinc coated cents age and tarnish, that dark gray color is common. Jim
Oh, okay. That makes sense. As soon as I figure it out, I'll do just that. Thank you so much for your help.
