Error coin or damaged? 1 1

[ZAR details]

Hello everyone, I have this 1914 wheat cent with an unusual pattern on the reverse. Would anyone be able to tell me if it is a cloth strike-through error, or if it is just post mint damage? Because the coin is well circulated I’m not sure myself what it is.

Edited August 16, 2023 by ZAR details

[J P M]

On 8/16/2023 at 11:44 AM, ZAR details said:

Hello everyone, I have this 1914 wheat cent with an unusual pattern on the reverse. Would anyone be able to tell me if it is a cloth strike-through error, or if it is just post mint damage? Because the coin is well circulated I’m not sure myself what it is.

It looks like it was on a piece of cloth for many years and it corroded or picked up some kind of reaction to the material and it stained and pitted the coin bad. 

Edited August 16, 2023 by J P M

[Sandon]

   This heavily circulated Lincoln cent has some sort of environmental damage from being exposed to a substance that reacted with the copper, zinc and/or tin of which it is composed.  It is definitely not a mint error.