strange penny

[klkak]

I just found a strange U.S. penny.

It is a gray color. Minted in 2001 at the Denver mint.

The detail is very sharp yet the back ground which is usually shiny is rather rough with diagonal lines.

The last time I saw a gray penny it was dated 1943.

Anyone have ideas about this one.

[mitch.chesney]

The "gray" penny is a steel (specific metal guys? help me out) penny. It was created because there was a shortage of copper during WWII. I don't know why you have one dated 2001. Maybe a counterfeit?

[tonester]

yah i see hundreds maybe thousands of pennys a day at work. if we ever find one like that which is rare we put it with the rest of the counterfeit coin. but you never know...

[endurance]

Since 1982 pennies have been copper coated zinc. Before 1982 they were solid copper. I'd suspect that it either didn't get a good dose of copper plating on it in the first place or the copper has worn off due to acid exposure.

[Madness & Blasphemy]

I just tested this and it's definitely true. I found a 1967 and a 1981 and they sounded the same when dropped on the desk. Then I tried it with a 1984 and a 2008 and those two sounded the same as each other. The older two pennies had a slightly deeper tone when they hit. Interesting

[klkak]

Well I know its not steel because its not magnetic. Now the idea that the copper has been etched off with acid is possible I reckon. That could explain the deep sharp relief.

[AKS]

I just found a strange U.S. penny.

It is a gray color. Minted in 2001 at the Denver mint.

The detail is very sharp yet the back ground which is usually shiny is rather rough with diagonal lines.

The last time I saw a gray penny it was dated 1943.

Anyone have ideas about this one.

Oh, is that all? Here I thought you were going to tell us about something odd you did recently.:D I guess you would have titled it "odd cookie" if it was going to be like that....

[klkak]

Oh, is that all? Here I thought you were going to tell us about something odd you did recently.:D I guess you would have titled it "odd cookie" if it was going to be like that....

If I was gonna tell a story about an "odd cookie" It would have been about you.:eek::D

[canid]

if that penny is indeed a minting mistake, hang on to it. minting errors are usually valuable, from a couple of dollars to thousands.

[palm stalker]

If I was gonna tell a story about an "odd cookie" It would have been about you.:eek::D

ill see ur penny and raise u a cookie.. lol :D

[AKS]

If I was gonna tell a story about an "odd cookie" It would have been about you.:eek::D

Very true.:)
So, you gonna get that penny appraised?

[canid]

i doubt an appraisal is in order, but asking a collector might be worth while.

[AKS]

Sure, talk to a collector.:rolleyes: If they say nice enough things about it, then get it appraised.;)

[Sourdough]

Maybe the penny is thinking, "I got found by a "STRANGE CREATURE". Maybe I should get him appraised.......:rolleyes:;):)

[klkak]

I put the penny in my treasure box.

[Badawg]

Last sumer I read about a bunch of guys the take a portion of their paychecks every week and go get pennies. They then sort through them(by weight) and pick out the copper ones, which they stockpile because the value of a copper penny by weight is something like 2.5 cents. Of course it is illegal to deface or destroy US currency, so I would never suggest anybody do this...

[tsitenha]

Is it possible that someone used electrodes to remove the copper content for plating?

[endurance]

Yes, it's called electroplating. My guess is you could Wiki it and get the lowdown. We did it in basic electronics class when I was in high school (you know that was a long time ago because they still had electronics classes).

If I remember the fluid wasn't just water, it was either a weak acid to salt water and I can't recall if the copper needed to be on the positive or negative.

At one point last year copper was getting up over $8/pound and pennies were worth several times their face value (something like 8 cents) but now that the price is back under $2, I doubt it's worth committing the crime. Still, I've been collecting the pre-82 pennies in my pocket change for a few years now. It's a free way to get something for almost nothing. I'm sure in 20 years they'll be worth quite a lot.

[skunkkiller]

that penny is not a mistake 2001 they made a bunch of them I have about 10 of them no big deal they spend just like the cooper ones.