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Penny with bubbles
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18 posts in this topic

I have this penny for 2 years now and came across it in my drawer yesterday. I have no clue what the heck is wrong with it and why it has a bunch of raised bubbles etc.. on it. Does anyone have any idea what it is? 

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This is the Cancer of Zinc Coins and is referred to as Zinc Rot. You will only see it on Lincoln Cents 1982 to present. It is caused by bubbles, for lack of a better word, between the layers of the Coin. When the Coin comes into contact with certain chemicals, unknown to me, they react and burst and this is the resulting look. It will transfer and effect other Zincoln's, so is best to rid yourself of them as soon as you get one. 

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On 6/25/2022 at 12:42 PM, KarenHolcomb said:

This is the Cancer of Zinc Coins and is referred to as Zinc Rot. You will only see it on Lincoln Cents 1982 to present. It is caused by bubbles, for lack of a better word, between the layers of the Coin. When the Coin comes into contact with certain chemicals, unknown to me, they react and burst and this is the resulting look. It will transfer and effect other Zincoln's, so is best to rid yourself of them as soon as you get one. 

 

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Thank you kindly Karen. I have another quick question? There are other bubbles on coin that aren't like those they are solid and do not break open when I scrubbed poor little coin half to death. Are these from same type of thing it's just trapped and get get up?   

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Also, there are tiny bubbly bumps on rim as well. I just don't want to keep if it's going to poison me everytime my OCD makes me scrub the sh*t out of it. It's also a very pretty light shade of pink or light light coppery rose color under all it's linky poks or shall I say coin is pretty light shade not the poks

Edited by Kimh74
Needed to add more info
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On 6/25/2022 at 12:21 PM, Kimh74 said:

Also, there are tiny bubbly bumps on rim as well. I just don't want to keep if it's going to poison me everytime my OCD makes me scrub the sh*t out of it. It's also a very pretty light shade of pink or light light coppery rose color under all it's linky poks or shall I say coin is pretty light shade not the poks

Don’t scrub coins, as in never. 

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Cleaning coins is a bad idea.  Scrubbing coins is worse.  You will ruin a valuable coin.  Your coin is not valuable, so no harm this time.  But you should start thinking of scrubbed coins as damaged, because that's the way collectors (and the market) see it.

Copper coins, in particular, should not be cleaned.  "Pink" copper coins are a telltale sign of  chemical cleaning.  But, scrubbing (or even wiping is a soft cloth) will be seen by a collector.  Unless you are an expert in coin restoration, you will leave evidence of the cleaning (and experts can/do also).

 

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Basically, zinc rot is similar to rust on a car.  The copper coated zinc cents that started in mid-1982 are primarily zinc, with a thin copper plating.  Once the copper is breached and the zinc is exposed to certain environments, it can start to corrode just like a scratch on the fender of a car.

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On 6/25/2022 at 1:21 PM, Kimh74 said:

Also, there are tiny bubbly bumps on rim as well. I just don't want to keep if it's going to poison me everytime my OCD makes me scrub the sh*t out of it. It's also a very pretty light shade of pink or light light coppery rose color under all it's linky poks or shall I say coin is pretty light shade not the poks

Okie doke Kim... The Zinc damage will only be on 1982-now Lincoln Cents that weigh in at or about 2.5g and can be on any part of a Coin. It can be opened with a hole or bubbled up everywhere but not broken and is kind of pretty, it can even be in a straight line resembling a Crack and we call those Linear Plating Blisters. There is even what we call Split Plating that looks as if the Copper has pulled away from the characters and left gaps everywhere. Check out error-ref.com when you have study time. All of this and more os covered on the site and in outline form. When a Lincoln is looking pinkish it's most likely one that been exposed to a vinegar or Ketchup, Hot Sauce, something like that. I know this because I did experiment with many condiment soaks of my Lincoln Cents way back when to see what would happen and the results were never good. Did you know that peroxide warmed in a wax warmer full of Lincoln's will eat away the entire Coin and leave only black powder behind? Now you do. That said, don't clean your Coins or at least don't yell when you do. These guys get very upset about that. And they are absolutely 100% correct when they say a Collector knows and a cleaned Coin that was worth $100 before being cleaned is worth maybe $10 after it's cleaned.  Especially Proofs or Halves and whole dollars any Coin that might be resellable you don't want to touch or clean in any way shape or form. HOWEVER... say you been out with your metal detector and dug up some Coins and you can't make heads or tails, hehe, of what they are... Then you can buy a $30 ultrasonic cleaner to get the surface dirt off of them. 

I hope this helped you gain a better understanding on Zincoln's. This is why I don't much fool with them at all. I look only for major Errors and Varieties like DD's and Die Clashes and put the rest right back into circulation. 

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On 6/25/2022 at 5:54 PM, KarenHolcomb said:

. Then you can buy a $30 ultrasonic cleaner to get the surface dirt off of them. 

Start with distilled water in the basket first. Then evaluate the results. 

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On 6/25/2022 at 7:54 PM, VKurtB said:

Start with distilled water in the basket first. Then evaluate the results. 

Absolutely. Thanks for clarifying. 

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On 6/25/2022 at 6:54 PM, KarenHolcomb said:

Okie doke Kim... The Zinc damage will only be on 1982-now Lincoln Cents that weigh in at or about 2.5g and can be on any part of a Coin. It can be opened with a hole or bubbled up everywhere but not broken and is kind of pretty, it can even be in a straight line resembling a Crack and we call those Linear Plating Blisters. There is even what we call Split Plating that looks as if the Copper has pulled away from the characters and left gaps everywhere. Check out error-ref.com when you have study time. All of this and more os covered on the site and in outline form. When a Lincoln is looking pinkish it's most likely one that been exposed to a vinegar or Ketchup, Hot Sauce, something like that. I know this because I did experiment with many condiment soaks of my Lincoln Cents way back when to see what would happen and the results were never good. Did you know that peroxide warmed in a wax warmer full of Lincoln's will eat away the entire Coin and leave only black powder behind? Now you do. That said, don't clean your Coins or at least don't yell when you do. These guys get very upset about that. And they are absolutely 100% correct when they say a Collector knows and a cleaned Coin that was worth $100 before being cleaned is worth maybe $10 after it's cleaned.  Especially Proofs or Halves and whole dollars any Coin that might be resellable you don't want to touch or clean in any way shape or form. HOWEVER... say you been out with your metal detector and dug up some Coins and you can't make heads or tails, hehe, of what they are... Then you can buy a $30 ultrasonic cleaner to get the surface dirt off of them. 

I hope this helped you gain a better understanding on Zincoln's. This is why I don't much fool with them at all. I look only for major Errors and Varieties like DD's and Die Clashes and put the rest right back into circulation. 

Thank you for your exceptional expertise and advice that is not only thorough but is also hilarious, friendly, kind and patient. Thanks to you there will be a lot less coins cowering in corner as I yell and scrub them to death. 

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On 6/26/2022 at 2:41 AM, Kimh74 said:

Thank you for your exceptional expertise and advice that is not only thorough but is also hilarious, friendly, kind and patient. Thanks to you there will be a lot less coins cowering in corner as I yell and scrub them to death. 

Thanks so much for your kind words. I am glad to be of help to somebody. Especially one who appreciates it. Happy Hunting-Karen

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