Expert: Jim Lawniczak - 8/21/2007

Question
i also have a 1990-D Silver looking pennie appears to be in flawless condition but has no copper color anywhere on it

Answer
I have received a number of questions along this line recently.  Since 1982, the U.S. cent (penny) has been made of copper coated zinc.  Zinc is a bluish-grey color that might be viewed as silver colored.  Thus, the most likely explanation is that you have a piece that has no copper coating and you are looking at the zinc.  The copper coating might have been stripped off after the cent was produced or maybe the mint made a mistake and there was no copper coating put on the cent in the first place (I'm not sure whether that is even possible in the minting process, but most mistakes are possible).  The market looks at alterations after minting as damage with no value, while mint errors usually command a premium.  Look at your piece carefully to see if there is any trace of copper coating anywhere on it, look in particular on the edge.  If you see a trace of copper, it is likely that is what the person who removed the coating missed.  Try going to www.ebay.com and doing a search for uncoated penny or penny without coating or penny without copper coating and variations on that to see if anyone is selling something like what you have.  Jim Lawniczak