2017 Lincoln Penny What Causes Discoloration

Environmental conditions/tape residue/and/or chemical exposure. How, why? Damage is damage and does not really matter. Post mint damage, no mint error, no premium.

Toning and staining through exposure to environmental agents is a chemistry thing. Different metals react differently.

This cent may be a "cupholder coin." Lots of people drop coins in the spaces intended for drinks and then set their Icy Cold Fountain Beverage from the fast food place right on top of the change. I know that about 90% of the lids leak when I try to put a straw in, or simply don't fit correctly and dump liquid from my Big Gulp all over the places inside my console. The acids in soft drinks accelerated by the oven-like temperatures of Summer can tone a copper coin very quickly! Once we pry these coins out of the "cola sap" in the bottom of the cupholder, we spend them on another abnormally large Coca-Cola product and that starts the process all over again.

All or some of this may be true, but I know it happens to me all the time.

The splash stain was convincer to me it was a cup holder coin.