I was going through my Indian head and wheat pennies and I found a 1944 wheat penny(no mint mark) it’s dark brown almost black in color and really shiny seems to be in great shape. I was wondering if anyone could tell me why it’s that color?
Normal environmental toning over the years. Or it could if been buried in dark soil and was metal detected and put back into circulation. Welcome to CoinTalk. We like pictures!
Welcome to CT @Jonathan Crager. Here is the spiel I give many newcomers. Photos are crucial for members to use and give opinions. The photos need to be full obverse and reverse, even if your question is only about one letter on one side. They should be cropped so no superfluous background shows and correctly orientated. Use the Full Image option given after you upload your photos so members can enlarge and see your coin(s) without having to go to a lot of trouble. In this way, you will get more responses to your queries. Good luck.
The 1944 looks like it was coated in lacquer to me. Please re-read my post (#3) regarding the posting of photos. While you posted one at Full Image but failed on all of the points I made.
I would never do something that I know nothing about. I ordered a few rolls of wheat pennies with a Indian head in each and it was in those.
Welcome to Coin Talk. Just a word of warning. You'll see many ads from people selling "unsearched" rolls of wheat cents, many with a Indian Head or a Dime showing on one end. There's no such thing as an unsearched roll. Most of them are filled with common, lower grade coins, not worth the price you paid for them. Another common lure is "Estate Sale". Learn all you can before you start buying coins. Good Luck.
@Jonathan Crager ...Welcome to CoinTalk. Ever wonder why that black wheatie wound up in a roll of “unsearched” pennies? Filler. Which proves the point of no such thing as unsearched rolls as @thomas mozzillo said. Sulphur will turn copper black. Yours has been treated with sulphur, then polished as @Collecting Nut said, then probably finished with a clear lacquer as @Mountain Man said. Really nice condition wheatie was prepared for jewelry use, my guess and honest opinion. I had a 1929 Peace sent in for grading to ANACS, it looked like a Proof or Proof-like...came back “Details - Polished”. Once again, apparently the coin was prepped for use in Jewelry application of some sort...Spark
Looks like it has been laquered and/or polished. There was a time when laquer was used to preserve coins.
