Identification Help
Moderator: Daniel
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Identification Help
I recently received this penny in the change for a purchase. It appears to be zinc with no copper coating. Of course the first reaction will be that the chopper has been removed with chemicals. I don't believe that is the case here. The penny is a 1983-D and it is larger than a normal penny. See photos with a normal penny beside it for comparison. The letters and images are crisp and not deformed. Anyone have an idea on this?
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Re: Identification Help
This isn't a normal missing copper plating cent, it looks counterfeit or damaged but not a mint error. Unplated cents look like this https://coins.ha.com/itm/errors/1989-d- ... ail-071515
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Re: Identification Help
Why would an unplated 1989 Zincoln that was graded MS64 by ANA not have any cartwheel luster?
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Re: Identification Help
Because it is zinc and zinc is not a very reflective metal.
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Re: Identification Help
That seems right, but I remember the shiny 1943 zinc-coated steel cents. Hmmm?
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Re: Identification Help
I have seen those as well but not with a cartwheel like a silver dollar, at least. Also the zinc turns gray after a while so being exposed would dull the luster.
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Re: Identification Help
That coin is not round, had to be squeezed by something that made it oval. Did not happen at the mint, for sure.
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Re: Identification Help
As you probably know, a lot of the shiny '43 steel cents for sale on eBay or elsewhere are reprocessed coins coated with chrome. I wrote a little article about the topic, an 'eBay Guide': Reprocessed 1943 Steel Lincoln Cents.pocketchange wrote: ↑Sat Mar 18, 2017 3:51 pmThat seems right, but I remember the shiny 1943 zinc-coated steel cents. Hmmm?
In fact, I couldn't remember the URL for the article so I searched Google for 'reprocessed Lincoln cents' and noticed an advert from Littleton Coin Company--they're selling reprocessed 1943 steel cents for $1.30 each, which is actually pretty reasonable, particularly since they identify them as 'reprocessed' (although they don't explain what that means).
~ Mark
P.S. I have no affiliation with Littleton Coin Company. Most of their coins are overpriced IMHO, but I did appreciate that they're not trying to sell the reprocessed steel cents as "brilliant uncirculated" or the like, which many folks seem to do.
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