1979-1981 are notorious for this striping. As stated before, it comes from an improper mixture of the copper and zinc used to make the blank strips. In some cases the metal didn't mix properly, and in other cases there are impurities in the metal that cause the streaking. When the coins are uncirculated and red the streaking is nearly invisible. Circulation causes the streaking to become much more evident, which is why nearly all examples collected as such are brown.
These can bring a small premium (up to a dollar) to newer collectors who want this sort of thing and don't have one already, but because these dates are so common for this problem, finding someone who doesn't already have one, knows what they are, and wants one would be a bit difficult.