Unplated Cent? Anyway to tell if genuine or not?

[Die Varieties]

Came across this while searching a circulated cent roll obtained from my local bank. Anyway to know if it's genuine or not? Obverse and reverse exhibit a dull appearance.

 

 

Thanks...

[truthteller]

Yes, genuine. The coin lacks it copper coating. Nice find. Once you get it holdered by a grading service, it will be worth something, not a whole lot, but $50-$75. Today's one cent US coins are copper coated zinc. Once in a while, a batch of coins does not get coated properly, or not at all, yet still find their way through the minting process and out the mint door.

 

 

TRUTH

[gmarguli]

I'm going to disagree with Truth and say that it is a normal cent that has environmental damage.

[CarolinaCollector]

I understand Greg's skepticism as cents are often subjected all kinds of "experiments".

 

My daughter found one of these in a roll in 1995 ( a 1983-dated coin). It has small traces of the copper coating remaining. The zinc on her coin was lighter in color. The coin has never been slabbed, but I had Randy

 

I agree with Truth. I think it's likely that this is a real error grading AU. When the copper is missing, the zinc discolors like the old zinc coated steel cents of 1943.

[spiny]

I'd try weighing it even though the weight of the copper plating (~.06 grams) is about the same as the tolerance of the weight of the coin. If it is missing the plating, it is more likely to weigh below the norm.

[McKinley-migration]

cut it in half and look at the middle

[Die Varieties]

Thanks for the responses. The coins weight fluctuates between 2.49 and 2.5 grams on my digital scale. Guess I will put this one to the side until I get a batch ready for sending to a TPG service.

 

Either it will come back authenticated/slabbed or in the ole infamous body bag.

[spiny]

Sounds on the iffy side for it to be unplated. Does a normal plated weigh about the same on your scale?

[Die Varieties]

"Does a normal plated weigh about the same on your scale?"

 

I took a couple of 2005 brand spanking new cents and weighed them and they both fluctuated between 2.5 and 2.51 on the scale. The calibrating weight was right on 50g.

[spiny]

The scale is good, so I'd have to go with enviromental damage as my guess.

[Die Varieties]

Spiny -- you have me confused?

 

(a) The 1989 cent in question on average shows weights of 2.49 to 2.50 grams.

 

(b) A 2005 cent on average shows weights of 2.50 to 2.51 grams.

 

I believe you stated ~.06 for unplating. Therefore, the 1989 cent in question should weight almost normal 2.5 grams or slighty less. With a fluctuation of 2.49 to 2.50 -- to me the scale is telling me the 1989 cent in question is slightly less than normal. The 2005 cents (on average) are indicating 2.5 to 2.51 or normal to slightly heavier than normal.

 

From what I'm getting out of this -- the 1989 cent in question is slightly less than normal weight. Which could indicate a possibility an unplated cent. Of course, this non-destructive test is in no way definitive.

 

Am I misunderstanding this analysis?

 

I'm not saying the coin is an unplated cent. As well -- I'm not saying the coin is from environmental damage. Bottom line is -- I don't know.

[spiny]

Billy, my thought was that anything weighing 2.50 +/- .01g would be considered normal for a plated cent. You'd probably even find a good portion at +/- .02g. If the allowable tolerance for the coin is 2 to 3% or +/- .05g to .08g (don't know for sure, but this would be extreme from what I've seen), then for an unplated coin to weigh 2.49g the zinc portion would have had to be at it's extreme high tolerance. It just doesn't seem likely to me. I would expect that a more realistic weight for an unplated cent to be 2.44 +/-.02g. Of course, this is all just conjecture on my part and I haven't been to a Holiday Inn Express in quite some time.

[Die Varieties]

I understand now what your saying. Though the 1989 cent coin in question is slightly less (on average) than a perfect weight cent -- what I gather from your experience is that the coin in question is not weighing enough less.

 

I'll put it in my weird coins tube and march on. Maybe down the road when I get a submission ready -- might throw it in and see what happens. So I'm out a few bucks -- at least with the coin I only have one cent invested.

 

Thanks -- you and this board have been most helpful and very informative. I'm learning!

 

Happy Hunting!!!

[melmcbee]

I agree with Greg. I have several pennies that look that way but they all came out of the ground. Hope I am wrong

[lm5403-migration]

Doesn't look unplated to me -- looks like environmental damage.

[Die Varieties]

I will put the coin with my '83 major DDR that has more pot holes on the coin than Route 66. They will complement each other nicely.

 

Thanks for all the responses. Back to searching.