so are there really brass plated pennies or are they baloney ?

[dialupsu]

I have 2 1983 Lincolns that look brass plated one weighs 2.01 g

the other weighs 2.50 g . You can see from the crappy photos

the orange peel like finish on the heavy coin . It looks like someone

plated this in their garage. Whats the current story of these coins I have

heard someone say they sold 1 for 500$ and another person say they are worth 1 cent.

[bsshog40]

These started in 83', I think, as mostly zinc composition. The bubbles you are seeing are normal air bubbles that are caused sometimes from the zinc plating. Worth 1c.

[AHFreak]

I agree with Bobby. Your cents are worth 1c.

 

 

[BillJones]

Today the cent is made of zinc with a thin copper coating. Many of the first copper coated cents had those bubbles on them. Sometimes the bubbles were broken which resulted in showing the zinc below.

 

Many years ago when I was interested in buying a 1983 doubled die reverse cent, I was offered one that had a big, broken copper bubble on the reverse. I passed on that one out of hand. Zinc is a very unstable metal when the air hits it. I could see that coin turning to dust on the envelope.

[Conder101]

OK now lets answer his question.

 

Yes brass plated cents exist. In fact technically almost every Zincoln is brass plated.

 

They cents are supposed to be zinc (with a trace of copper) plated with pure copper. But when the zinc planchets are put in the barrel plater a little bit of zinc is dissolved into the plating solution and it plated back onto the surface of the coin along with the copper. This copper zinc coating is technically brass.

 

Now the zinc dissolves off the planchets faster than it plates back out so over time the amount of zinc dissolved in solution increase and the planchets get plated with an ever increasing percentage of zinc and the final color of the planchet of each successive batch of planchet is yellower and yellower. At some point they decide the color is too far off of normal and they dump the plating solution and start over with fresh solution and the planchets go back to 99.999% copper plated.

 

So unless you are doing an XRF test on the coin to determine the exact composition of the plating you are paying a BIG premium just based on the color of the coin.

 

At some point in the gradual color range someone decides "These are brass plated!", promotes them, and and sells them for a high price.

 

PS Your 2.01gram cent is an actual error, a rolled thin planchet. The weight is well out of tolerance

[johnny9434]

These started in 83', I think, as mostly zinc composition. The bubbles you are seeing are normal air bubbles that are caused sometimes from the zinc plating. Worth 1c.

i totally agree.

[dialupsu]

PS Your 2.01gram cent is an actual error, a rolled thin planchet. The weight is well out of tolerance

 

Thanks I'll put it aside