any ideas about this half dollar?

[Phantomfe3]

got skunked from $200 worth of halves today, but i pulled this one out thats a brown color, not sure what to think of it.

any idea why or how it got to be this color? its very consistent on both sides and in the ridges around the edge, has a D mintmark. i dont know if they turn this color when they are in the ground, maybe it was buried for a while and someone found it metal detecting and cashed it in? looks to be in ok shape, definitely has been circulated a bit. could be as simple as someone dinking around with a can of paint. i dont know. your thoughts

comparison to another 1992 half

 

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[DirtyMike]

I have seen them come out of the ground that color a few times. Normally they don't but certain ground conditions do change the color sometimes.

 

[savant365]

I've never dug up a half dollar but almost all of the clad quarters that I've dug that have been in the ground for a while come out looking just like that.

HH Charlie

 

[Phantomfe3]

thanks guys

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

The outer layer of 1971-to-present "clad" US half-dollars is 75% copper 25% nickle (an alloy sometimes called Cupronickle). Consequently, being composed mostly of copper, it tends to turn brown after a while in the ground. The speed somewhat depends on soil-chemistry. Generally speaking, the less "neutral" the soil is, the faster the change in color.