1983d Wash. Quarter...Help Please

[coincity1]

So the color is WAY off and the metal / alloy (or Clad) is not the same as the 1983 (pictured on the right for comparison) The coin in question, Though visably more worn, does not have a scratch in it. The comparison coin is scratch heavly as is every other quarter i've seen. It is also thinner and the weight is 5.48gr. about .2 less than it is supposed to be..Also the mint mark looks odd...Wrong planchet? lamination error? Does anyone have a clue?? I've come across a lot of quarters and have never seen this before..It is much more dramatic than the scans show..Thank You

[NearDateHound]

Looks like the images didn't get into the post correctly. It's the button towards the top of the edit window, the paperclip with a drop down arrow next to it. If for some reason they won't attach (I know there's a size limit depending on the format) and you would like them hosted somewhere so you can link them in the body of the post, let me know.

[coincity1]

Are the scans visable now?

[NearDateHound]

Yep, and you're right, that is a strange one.

At first glance I'd almost think an oddly annealed planchet, but the results of that are usually more black than brown, and I am not sure they're really known that far back. With the lack of details/seeming worn and the slightly under weight planchet (I'm assuming it's the odd one you were saying was .2g off) with no scratches I almost wonder if it's the result of a failed chemical treatment experiment someone did. It looks like the brown tone carries through into the ding on Washington's neck, which might support the chemically treated idea. I don't know about wrong planchet, as I don't know of anything made at the mint in that period with that color (brown) of metal, even after aging. A lamination would most likely be a copper color, (*e* Brain dead moment, probably wouldn't turn green) and though copper can develop a brown patina it looks like some siny cupro-nickel elements shining through at least on the letters, as if the brown color is on the surface and some has worn off. As to weight, with a laminate with both sides off, I think percentage wise it'd be a lot lighter.

I haven't dealt with a ton of coins like this though, so hopefully one of the guys who has can weigh in with what's up with it and what details brought them to that conclusion. Hard to make out the difference in the mint mark, any chances of a close up of it?

[diamond]

It looks like it's been tampered with outside the Mint. The details are too soft for natural wear.

[coincity1]

I thought of chemicals also but that doesn't explain the weight difference But, possibly the thickness issue..and your right if both sides were striped or un-clad it would be alot lighter.. The color is almost a "soft" rust brown (which i've seen similar coloring on some 1970s nickels, But still not the same.) The oddest thing is the surface details , As mentioned before, they are free of surface scratches, It almost looks as if it were painted silver it would look "proof" like. Also the reeding on the edges is the same color..No sign of cladding..Yes I will try to get more magnified scans posted tonight. Thank you guys for your intrest and imput. I would like to consider myself coin "Savvy", but apparently This one has left me clueless...

[wavysteps]

The clad surface is composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel which is then bond to a core of pure copper. This holds true for any of the modern U. S. minted coins that are a clad (except for the dollar coins which are not really clad but are layered)

Since there is a high amount of copper in these cons certain chemical reactions will take place where the copper atoms will displace the nickel atoms at the surface of the coin. This will turn the color to a brownish coppery color.

Many a clad coin when found in the earth after many years exhibits the rust color that your quarter has. I have seen many dimes that have turned this color as well while searching circulated rolls of cents. I am not to sure the cause for the copper atom's migration to the surface; however, it does happen.

So, it is more than likely non malicious PMD (post mint damage).

BJ Neff

[coincity1]

Thank you for responding..I'm still puzzeled on the weight difference..Any ideas?

[diamond]

It looks to me like the surfaces were intentionally buffed before the coin was stained. That may have removed a bit of weight. Or the quarter could have started out with a weight that was slightly below normal.

[coin detective]

1983 d quarter

This type of brown color is common to ground finds or water finds by a metal detectorist. Particularly if the coin is laying in leafy vegetation, which buffers the coin from scratching and gives coins any number of colors. Quarters, dimes, and five cent pieces sometimes turn bluish to a very dark black. It all depends on the chemicals in the immediate areas touching the coin.

[NearDateHound]

I hadn't thought of that, and wasn't familiar w/ much in the way of detector finds, thanks for adding the info here.