Zinc pennies corrode in ground?

[krazyace]

I dug a couple of zinc pennies today and they were all corroded around the edges, or tore up from something else. Do they corrode or was it other damage?

 

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[NGE]

Corrode. zinc base metal with a thin copper wash. That's why we call them Zincolns..........NGE

 

[Giant056]

Zinc's corrode fast in the dirt.

 

[rwsnc]

If you think they corrode fast in the dirt, run them through a tumbler to clean them. They look like that were dipped in acid. JUNK coins. I use to throw them away. Now I just gently clean them and try to pass them off.

 

[NGE]

Yeah, what he said. I try to stick them into the middle of rolls. Never put two next to each other in a roll, they bank teller can feel the soft spot ........NGE

 

[Mike from MI]

Yep depending on the soil they can rot away pretty fast. I have found some that are only half pennies now.

 

[fatsmahoney]

it our governments way of guaranteeing inflation