Jeffnprescott Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Hello, I am new to the forum and was wondering if the quarter pictured would be a clad layer error? It's all pretty new to me & would appreciate any information. Thank you in advance! Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Bob Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Welcome to the forum. I assume you are asking if your coin is missing the clad layer. I don't believe it is . I think that is toning of the outer clad layer that is producing the color. If the layer were missing, the color would most likely be a dark brownish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffnprescott Posted January 3, 2020 Author Share Posted January 3, 2020 Thank You sir that does answer my question & much appreciated... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbbpll Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 It appears to have been painted or plated - there seem to be a lot of bubbles on the surface which I do not recall seeing on a normal quarter before, plus some splotchy areas of silver color where it looks like something flaked off. What does the other side look like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VKurtB Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 8 hours ago, kbbpll said: It appears to have been painted or plated - there seem to be a lot of bubbles on the surface which I do not recall seeing on a normal quarter before, plus some splotchy areas of silver color where it looks like something flaked off. What does the other side look like? Yes, it appears to have been plated, perhaps by one of hundreds of "high school science class" methods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffnprescott Posted January 3, 2020 Author Share Posted January 3, 2020 Hello & thanks for your reply. The color is from toning it's not been painted. I assumed the copper planchet changed color from exposure, but other clad layer error coins I've seen online didn't have a patina like this. And I don't think nickel colors like this? Thanks for your time & input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirt Posted January 4, 2020 Share Posted January 4, 2020 (edited) 11 hours ago, Jeffnprescott said: Hello & thanks for your reply. The color is from toning it's not been painted. I assumed the copper planchet changed color from exposure, but other clad layer error coins I've seen online didn't have a patina like this. And I don't think nickel colors like this? Thanks for your time & input. From your picture, it looks like the coin is "golden" in color. That means it's probably bronze at the surface; there's a bunch of ways to do that with basic chemistry. All involve plating the coin with zinc then making a bronze alloy with the plated zinc and the copper in the copper-nickel cladding on the outside of the coin. If this had been done to the copper clad layer, the result would have been an even more gold-looking coin. When I was a kid we did this a lot. (sorry, but what teenager doesn't want silver and gold coins!) Quarters can tone environmentally, too, but the evenness and darkness of the toning makes it much more likely it's been bronzed. Edited January 4, 2020 by Kirt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
