I recently found a 1995 penny in change that is all gray in color. Is there a way to tell if this is missing the copper coating and is just a "zinc" penny? I have heard that some people dip pennies in mercury to get them to look gray. Is a penny that is missing the copper plate valuable?
That kinda depends on how you define valuable. Can you retire from it - not a chance. Can it be worth a few bucks - absolutely. But like with any coin the value depends on it being genuine/unaltered and the condition. The mercury you mention is typically only used on 1943 steel cents or silver coins.
Mercury is shiny, as I recall (I used to play with a vial my father has). An unplated Lincoln will quickly turn dull gray if handled. Also, zinc is very unstable when exposed to the elements, so handle it as little as possible, or it will disappear in a pile of corrosion/dust.
Sorry to but in. I found a 1995 penny last night and the copper has come off in some places, so you can see this grey color underneath. Is this just from being handled, or an error? If you need a photo i can post one. Thanks, SM
Actually this is a 1994 "zinc" penny...I was off by a year....I just found it buried tonight in my pile of coins that I have to catalog I have attached 2 photos to show the penny....does it look like an error coin?
Since unplated cents are so easy to fake either by removing the copper or by zinc plating, unless the coin is fully MS with full cartwheel luster they usually aren't worth anything.
I have just today unexpectedly come into possession of one of these. What's the consensus on these? Are some definitely real,but most are deplated for a fraudulent reason? After reading some other threads, I am at the "Bobby Hill" level of confusion.
Start your own thread and you might get some answers. This thread was started in 2005 and last responded to in 2018. Weight is important.
Weight is actually insignificant in most cases as the copper plating is so thin there is very little difference between a genuine unplated cent and a normal one.
