Expert: PAPAJACK - 4/8/2007

Question
I have come across a silver colored penny dated 1980, not magnetic.  Any idea?

Answer
Hello Ed,    

I found no recorded error in my catalogs of a off metal strike on your cent.

How clear is the Obverse of the coin? Is the design very strong and detailed?

Get a good magnifier and a light source. Examine the edge on the coin at all angles.

If the surface is kind of rough and pitted it sounds like it may have been in an acid bath. (Perhaps in a plating shop where they strip and re-chrome and nickel plate all day. ) Also someone may have just plated the coin.

It is likely just a mishap or possibly a novelty item.
It may have been cleaned in a wash solution after a batch of the silver or nickel metal, and have picked up the tint of color in solution.  

The US Mint buys it's coin blanks for the One Cent from outside vendors rather than punching the billions of slugs themselves.

For testing, first check the specifications on the coin. 3.11 grams and 19mm round diameter. If it is anything else and we don’t have a cent blank used here.

If the coin is the correct size and within the weight tolerances of a normal cent there are a few possibilities.

It may be polished after the coin left the mint. With certain polishing mediums a silver, gold or brass look can be achieved. I have even seen cents cleaned in silver cleaners that change their color to silverish hues.

As I said it was more probably plated or contaminated with another metal. Copper takes plating well but if you magnify the (fillet) area where the raised lettering is you will find a build-up of the plating material.  

Things like plated coins are worthless to collectors. Most coin shops and all coin Shows Large or small will have people knowledgeable enough to identify this piece for you at no charge.

There are very few reports that some plated blanks were sent to the mint (but they were Brass Plated, not silver) this would make it into the off metal strike error category and carry a premium to error collectors. The coin would have to be seen by a professional to decide this a picture would not show the difference properly.
If you need to find a coin dealer in your area write me back.

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Thank You and Good Luck

PapaJack