I am thinking at one point someone had painted it and it's pealing off do to corrosion Occurring under the paint. It's odd the DATE looks like something you would see on a zinc rot date.
The fire explanation is plausible, but I can assure you it's not paint. As noted, it's 3.00 grams and the same consistency visible on the surface can be seen riddling the planchet on the sides of the coin. 100% not paint or plating.
Just a coin's natural wear over time can reduce it's weight by .1 grams easily. Wheat cents typically weigh 2.9-3.1 grams, and even 2.8 grams is not uncommon. Like stated by others, I feel this is more of a foreign substance issue than a lamination. Keep hunting!
-CH27
Collector of U.S. Coins, Varieties, and Colonial Coinage
Looking at the thickness of the Coating or what ever it is at the bottom of the reverse in-between the wheat stems it's to thick to be copper peal and it looks more like corrosion of something added to the coin. I can see you'll need to send it in to get the answer your looking for good luck.
Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited. Contact Us | Advertise Here | Privacy Policy / Terms of Use