Unusually Strange Penny

[EagleDown]

Hi all, I found a rather strange penny this morning. Buried about 1" deep.

When I picked it up and before I dropped it in my pocket, I checked the date, 1987. Then, I noticed that though it appeared in very good condition, it didn't have that slick shiny appearance that I'm use to with most coins.

When I got home, I checked it with my 5X loop and found that it has a "pebbled" look to it. It looks kind of like the dies for the reverse and the obverse had been sand blasted and not re-polished. In other words, it's totally covered with extreemly small "bumps", (not pits.)

Has anyone else run across anything like this??

Thanks, Eagle

 

[N.J.THer]

Those Zincolns do some strange things...can you post a pic?

NJ

 

[EagleDown]

Those Zincolns do some strange things...can you post a pic?

NJ

I'll see what I can do. But I'm having a h..l of a time learning the funtions on this camera.

Eagle

 

[Bry]

Copper plated zinc coin, Its rotting away!

 

[EagleDown]

Copper plated zinc coin, Its rotting away!

That's what I thought too............at first. But after closely studying it with the magnifing glass, I no longer think so. Beside the fact that it had not been in the ground long enough to even tarnish. (Our last rain was 3 months ago.) By running one of my plastic probes across it, I found the little "pebbles" to be solid, not merely bubbles.

Eagle

 

[Rob66]

Looks like it may have just barely escape a fire Unless the die was chiped

 

[LandStar]

Fertilizer is hell on those things...As is the acids in wood chips...does strange things to em...I have a whole coffee can full of crusty zincolns

HH,