kind of a dumb question....

[gription]

in my change today was a 2000 penny that's brown. solid brown.. not a whole lot of wear, no sign of abuse... the color is just gone.

how'd this happen so quickly...?

obviously it has something to do with the atmosphere it's been in.. humidity, 'elements', maybe some oily handling or something like that, maybe in a car winter after winter frozen over and over again?

does anyone have anything besides a theory... what exactly is it in the air that'll do this? gimme some science


told ya it was dumb

[Bob P]

Never a dumb question here.
A coin that new that turns that dark was probably subjected to a chemical of some sort, or could have been left on a window sill in direct sunlight. There is a gel of some sort called 'Deller's Darkener' which is supposed to restore the 'aged' look (in other words, darkens the copper) to copper coins. Maybe someone was playing with this stuff? Other than that, everything is just guessing.

[Dick]

I agree, and I have asked some of the more "out of sight" questions. That is how we learn, and at the same time get various exp[lanations about any [articular variety.
Dick

[eagames]

In the summer I pick new cents up in parking lots, often the side that was up is toned. The sun and heat plus some humidity does it fast.

Next summer I'll try a test, let a fresh cent sit in the sun and take pics as it tones. They go faster on dirt or near moisture plus sun.



They sell stuff for coins and stuff for copper tooling, I think it's mostly sulphur (smells like rotten eggs) and it darkens copper in a flash.

[Dick]

Ed, that sounds like a nice experiment. It won't hurt the coins, having been out there for any length of time. They are alredy "hurt", from the movement between the tires, and the surface, It gives them that "wind-swept" look.
Dick