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 Replies: 11 / Views: 410 |
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New Member
United States
3 Posts |
*** Edited by Staff to Add Year and/or Mintmark and/or Denomination to Title. It's essential to have it in the title.  ***As I stated in my introduction - we inherited my dad's coins and I kept some odds for myself. I kept mostly pennies and have a bunch of wheats and steel ones just because. I've noticed that I have a handful of steels that have turned a blue-ish tone. Is this normal? Also, I have 2 pennies that are a brass color and 1 has a very pronounced rim. BOTH ARE MILDLY MAGNETIC. I would guess that someone cast these as a hobby but they are quite good and I can't reason why someone would cast pennies. From the pics I've attached: pennies #1 & #2 have the blue tone. #3 is a 1946 and looks more like copper in the pic but it's a light brass color. #4 is a 1957 and has the thick rim. You can see that the "L" in Liberty is covered by this rim. At the bottom of the reverse side you can see the rim has started to peel back. Any ideas about these?   Edited by Kar98
02/16/2026 3:26 pm
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Moderator
 United States
34395 Posts |
@kar, first welcome to CCF. Second, please in the future limit your thread to only a single coin as that let's us really focus on answering your questions. Thx. Quote:
#4 is a 1957 and has the thick rim That "rim" is actually most of an old encasement which was added to this cent after it left the mint. You should find this coin over weight and with a bit of effort you could remove the remnant encasement leaving behind just your Wheat cent. "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
73698 Posts |
 To CCF! Your coins have been artificially plated after they left the U.S. Mint. The 1957 Wheat cent has been previously encased at one time. No errors. PMD. Errers and Varietys.
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Moderator
United States
94786 Posts |
to CCF. Coins 1 and 2 are steel zinc coated cents and the blue color is fairly normal. Coin 3 in a normal wheat back cent. Coin 4 looks like it still has the bezel on it - which makes the rim appear larger. |
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New Member
 United States
3 Posts |
In response to posts:
What is the encasement or bezel you mention and why would how/why would that be done?
If #3 and #4 were plated, what would be the purpose? These are both brass colored; but brass/bronze would not account for the magnetism. And if they were nickel plated (allowing some magnetism) wouldn't they be silver in color?
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Bedrock of the Community
Canada
21586 Posts |
Your two 1943 cents are correct, they are made of a steel core with a zinc layer.
Copper cents can tone many different colours so there is nothing wrong with coin #3.
Coin 4 is in a bezel, you can see the clasp at the bottom of the reverse.
Nothing is plated as far as I can see.
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Moderator
United States
34395 Posts |
Quote:
what would be the purpose? Fun? Practice? Mischief? Boredom? Hard to say without having been there. "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
8730 Posts |
If the pics don't help you understand, not sure what else to tell you. Encased.  Coin in a bezel.  -makecents-
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Moderator
United States
15392 Posts |
to the CCF Take a look at my other hobby ... http://www.jk-dk.art |
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Moderator
United States
94786 Posts |
ok first off, #3 & 4 are not plated, they are of the natural copper color
It is #1 & 2 that get plated initially from the mints process to protect the steel from rusting, BUT, the 1943 steel cent coins will get 'reprocessed' or re-plated to make them look newer - usually to help get a higher price on a re-sell.
As for #4 ther is a copper or bronze bezel surrounding the cent - most likely to make it into a neckless for what ever reason the owner at the time wanted.
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New Member
United States
3 Posts |
Quote:
makecents- If the pics don't help you understand, not sure what else to tell you. Yes I needed the pics. I didn't understand what an encasement was. Thx for adding. Quote:
Dearborn - first off, #3 & 4 are not plated, they are of the natural copper color Took a better pic with a different camera with some normal pennies above them. I think you can see the color a little better. I've handled a lot of copper coins and those bottom two are nothing like I've seen before. Plating would explain the magnetism too, which is really bugging me. Quote:
Fun? Practice? Mischief? Boredom? Hard to say without having been there Good enough reasons. Appreciate you all looking at these for me.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8730 Posts |
Quote:
Yes I needed the pics. I didn't understand what an encasement was. Thx for adding.  -makecents-
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Replies: 11 / Views: 410 |
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Posted 02/16/2026 4:49 pm
