I found a very odd nickel coin roll hunting today. It is very dark and it is not grimed. it seems lighter than the other nickels and is almost black. It has a 1982-D date and mintmark and is XF to AU range, any help on what this could be would be a great help.
3 years agoFORUMS
How to identify black beauty nickels
Big Nub Numismatics
251 Posts
It is not toned either, I can not find anything on this subject on how to identify, or even the rarity of such coins.
3 years agoBig Nub Numismatics
251 Posts
All I could find is that a black beauty nickel is when the metal that is used to cut the planchets overheats it causes the nickel and copper inside to diffuse into two distinct layers in stead of the mix with the nickel top layer. Instead when this happens the copper becomes the top layer and the entire nickel becomes black.
3 years agoMike
1221 Posts
Never heard of them. I have seen many black nickels but it was just dirt. It was like a tar like they were found in the street. Why would the mint use damaged planchects and why were they not picked out of the bin? I know when the see things like this out they come. The nickel new shines it would stick out like a sore thumb. Then again who knows what the mint does these days. Nothing would surprise me.
3 years agoLongstrider
433 Posts
Having not seen the nickel, it seems like someone may have tried to clean it and stained it.
3 years agoIt's Mokie
413 Posts
I have seen some coins that have been in fires that had a very black appearance, maybe that's what happened.
Big Nub Numismatics
251 Posts
I am taking it to a coin show and maybe I can find more information there.
3 years ago