It's because the mint switched from 95% copper to 97% zinc cents in 1982 and this newer crappier composition has not held up as well to "environmental" exposure.
Where the old copper cents would tone beautiful colors the zinc tend to tone and corrode more hideously.
I have a 2012-D cent which I threw in a cardboard box. Four years later, I dug it up and it had red toning in the center with silver toning towards the edges.
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