Expert: Jim Lawniczak - 4/18/2007

Question
My boyfriend just found a penny in his change that is gold in color, dated 1985. It does not look "painted" though. Any ideas? Thanks for your time.

Answer
Hello, Robin, I would think that almost certainly this was done after manufacture at the mint.  Go to www.google.com and go a search for gold colored penny.  The first item that came up when I did that was a chemical discussion on how to make a gold cent, I believe without painting.  I can think of no way that a gold colored cent could come out of the mint, even as an error piece.  But to be 100% certain, you would have to show the original piece to an expert, perhaps at a coin shop or a coin show.  Hope this helped, Jim Lawniczak