1992 Lincoln cent - what’s going on with this one? Plating error?

Coinnoob

Tenderfoot
Dec 20, 2019
8
3
California
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
28DC9270-EC12-4318-83D5-B1E1CD5BE4F9.jpeg 28DC9270-EC12-4318-83D5-B1E1CD5BE4F9.jpeg

It’s not as tall on it’s edge as any of the other pennies.
The blobs are raised copper. Similar looking to welding.
 

Attachments

  • B2D361E2-D7B3-4147-BF74-37D7D3B167ED.jpeg
    B2D361E2-D7B3-4147-BF74-37D7D3B167ED.jpeg
    639.7 KB · Views: 95
Last edited:

civil_war22

Relic Recovery Specialist
Dec 5, 2008
3,215
2,810
NW Arkansas
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75 SE/LTD2, minelab Etrac, whites classic id, spectrum xlt, fisher f7, fisher 1266, king of all Tesoro Cibola, Tesoro Vaquero, Fisher 1280-X, minelab equinox, Fisher F75+ Garrett AT MAX
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Someone could have heated it up at the top and caused the outer coating to bubble, or even solder it to something causing those little bubbles, and heat transfer to obverse.
 

OP
OP
C

Coinnoob

Tenderfoot
Dec 20, 2019
8
3
California
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thank you for the reply! One side has less/missing copper. The blobs are part of the copper plating. The coin is smaller than the other pennies and has an otherwise decent image, (Not melted looking or burnt) Any other possibilities maybe?
 

civil_war22

Relic Recovery Specialist
Dec 5, 2008
3,215
2,810
NW Arkansas
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75 SE/LTD2, minelab Etrac, whites classic id, spectrum xlt, fisher f7, fisher 1266, king of all Tesoro Cibola, Tesoro Vaquero, Fisher 1280-X, minelab equinox, Fisher F75+ Garrett AT MAX
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
It could be a multitude of things. I know I’ve really put some heat on them before, and it turned the opposite side the same color. The plating on the one side that’s either bubbled up from heat, or it’s a blob of something someone may have tried to solder or braze it to something.
 

galenrog

Bronze Member
Feb 19, 2006
2,017
2,208
Just another rotting Zincoln. Despite the inference from your post title, this is not an error. The copper plated zinc cent is the victim of its own design.

Very thin copper plating over very reactive zinc. Any compromise of the copper plating, however small, will lead to extreme degradation of the coin.

I see no evidence of of heat, but I do see evidence of adverse environmental effects. And some foreign material.

Time for more coffee.
 

l.cutler

Silver Member
Dec 2, 2006
2,665
2,004
NEPA
Detector(s) used
Tejon, Cibola, T2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Galenrog explained it perfectly, just zinc rot.
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top