~$~BLACK PENNYS 2001D~$~ (pictures)

[trish76642]

I've posted before about the 2 black pennies that i have, thought they might of been steel pennies from the 40's but i finally found them and they are 2001's (D), they are slightly larger than a regular penny, and dark grey in color,if you turn them over the edge is raised higher on the back side, and they both have a slight 'bow' to them, as you can see, the detail on them is more intense than a regular penny, definately not a copper penny! But the fact that they are larger brings another question,also they are not as heavy as a 'regular' penny, what could they be made of and why?... Here are a few pictures.
thanks for taking the time!
Trish

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Diving for Pleasure and Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[Bigcypresshunter]

Hes asking $260 for a 1983 unplated zinc cent, but there are no bids.
Keep in mind that yours are larger and warped, which would make me think that they were heated.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Treasure of Victoria Peak - Grab it through Amazon!

[trish76642]

Hes asking $260 for a 1983 unplated zinc cent, but there are no bids.

Keep in mind that yours are larger and warped, which would make me think that they were heated.

yeah im sure they probably are heated. Still keepers.
I thought that link would be interesting to someone else.
I did notice there were no bids.

 

[rwsnc]

I have a sneaky suspicion that the pennies will turn out to be normal. Apparently, there are several procedures for turning pennies black.

Try doing a Google search. If you heat a penny then cool it quickly, it will turn black.
Another way is to subject it to sulphur. Here's one link: http://www.finishing.com/258/66.shtml

If it was mine, I'd probably scratch it to see if a copper color showed under the black.

Just a guess on my part.

 

[doug60]

1988 and down are all 90% copper, All those above 1982 are 92% Zinc .8% tin copper as they lay in the ground the copper wears away leaving only the zinc which is very light. That is what you have I can give more details but you can take that to the bank.

 

[trish76642]

So what makes them larger than a normal penny and bowed in the center? Heat?

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Well, actually, since 1982, the composition of the penny is 97.6% zinc, and 2.4% copper.

B

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

1988 and down are all 90% copper, All those above 1982 are 92% Zinc .8% tin copper

I think you meant to say 1982, not 1988.

 

[lostcauses]

"So what makes them larger than a normal penny and bowed in the center? Heat?"

Yes the heat cases a slight expansion because of the the zinc state going to liquid from solid. This will cause an expansion and bowing during both the heating and cooling.

 

[FlatCat]

Penny copper composition, from http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/fun_facts/index.cfm?flash=yes&action=fun_facts2

* The composition was pure copper from 1793 to 1837.
* From 1837 to 1857, the cent was made of bronze (95 percent copper, and five percent tin and zinc).
* From 1857, the cent was 88 percent copper and 12 percent nickel, giving the coin a whitish appearance.
* The cent was again bronze (95 percent copper, and five percent tin and zinc) from 1864 to 1962.
(Note: In 1943, the coin's composition was changed to zinc-coated steel. This change was only for the year 1943 and was due to the critical use of copper for the war effort. However, a limited number of copper pennies were minted that year. You can read more about the rare, collectible 1943 copper penny in "What's So Special about the 1943 Copper Penny.")
* In 1962, the cent's tin content, which was quite small, was removed. That made the metal composition of the cent 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc.
* The alloy remained 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc until 1982, when the composition was changed to 97.5 percent zinc and 2.5 percent copper (copper-plated zinc). Cents of both compositions appeared in that year.

 

[trish76642]

Thanks for all the help everyone!