Blackland Gumbo Clay Effects on Clad

[Toadie]

I am not sure if it is just the dirt here or if these coins are such cheap quality in materials, but here are what clad pennies come out looking like after they have been in the ground for a little while around Hunt County Texas.

[RingDancer]

I think some of it may be the quality of the coin and some of it is from your soil. The ones I dig here in AR look pretty bad but not as bad as those! May not be any identifiable clad if any left to hunt for the future detectorist a hundred years from now?

[bill(de)]

That looks like salt or fertilizer damage , those zincs are biodegradable

HH Bill

[Toadie]

1998 dunno dunno 1998 1992 1985

1984 2001 1990 2000 1988 2003

2001 1998 1994 1984 1996 1992


listed in order of scan. Some from my yard, some from the fishing hole, some from Lake Tawakoni. The soil here is rich in minerals.

[carolinachief]

It is pretty much coin quality. Mine here in eatern NC often have the pitting and damage just like yours. It is because they are "zincolns". Don't make them like they used to.

[Wyatt Earp]

Yep......Them's are "biodegradable" pennies. They're sometimes even worse than that here in SW Pa. I've had 2 that were stuck together via electrolysis, which is actually what makes the coins deterirate at such a rapid rate in acid soil. I just throw those ones in the trash. I still dig them (never know what that VDI reading might mean)..but I throw them away.

Wyatt

[HooseNutz]

Electrolysis...you probally have a high calcium or other metal in your dirt.
Pennies from the years 184 - present are zinc/copper...where as 1983 - and back are copper....except the 1973 aluminum which is illegal to own...hehe. Find out that is in your dirt and let us know...