Found this 1995-D penny in a machine-roll of nickels the other evening. Given the color / size I almost discarded it as a dud, but after seeing it was a penny I became interested and a bit confused: . It's larger than a normal penny in diameter and volume, so much so that the machine slotted it incorrectly . The finish is a dull gray with a silvery polish underneath -- I'm assuming Zn? (Note: The photo implies a greenish tint to some spots -- those are artifacts of the photo downscale versus the actual coin, which is markedly gray/silvery) . While the coin is obviously coated with some circulation crud, it doesn't look significantly worn, with sharp edges on the front/back . It "feels" slightly lighter than a normal penny Interested in learning more about what the process that created this coin. At first I thought it was a fake or artist rendition, but who would bother with a 1995 penny -- not exactly a key date. I've been reading about some chemical processes that can strip coins of the copper, but I couldn't find anything re: the slightly larger size of the coin.
The coin was stripped and heated up causing the underlying zinc to expand. I have one of these sitting on my desk right now, and over the years I've tossed quite a few of them.
Looks like what's known as a "Texas" cent. It was put between 2 pieces of leather and pounded on with a rubber mallet which slightly enlarges the coin and cracks off all the plating
I just found the same year. Everything is proportional. The width is the same as a regular penny. The elements dirtied this on up, but it still is a brownish color, no silver at all.
Also the 1995 penny I have is not distorted or anything except it is larger then the regular penny the Lincoln bust is also larger
My Texas cent had me confused a couple weeks ago. Tough life as a distorted penny circulating with nickels. Welcome to Coin Talk!
A high pressure strike does not increase the diameter to greater than normal. A broadstrike can have a diameter greater than normal but the image of the cent on the coin will still be the same size as normal and the outer edge of the lettering will be further from the edge than normal.
