Weird "textured" 1983 d

[riff]

what on earth caused this? there are a million little raised blobs all over the obverse and reverse, device and field. at first glance i thought some kind of corrosion, but they raise up.

[jallengomez]

Riff,

It's plating issues. I've found entire rolls of uncirculated zinc cents from the early 80's where I couldn't find a single coin that didn't have extreme plating issues.

[seal006]

It is called "orange peel". In 1983 the use of copper coating on zinc cents was new. They had not perfected the process. Thus many, and I mean MANY of the 1983 coins came out looking like this. It is rarer to find one that isn't.

[riff]

thanks guys.

[liveandievarieties]

These plating issues run into the early 90s, but by 1993 they seem to have resolved the problem.

[jallengomez]

I'm sure the term "orange peel" is used to describe about any texture that has that look, but keep in mind that traditionally it refers to an "orange peel" look that is caused by a form of die deterioration, especially on certain proof coins. It does not exclusively apply to plating issues.

[liveandievarieties]

In addition to what Jody clarified- orange peel is used to describe the earlier die strikes on a 1909-1918 (?I think) Lincolns. Many of them had fields that literally have appearance of the texture of an orange. Very attractive and responsible for being occasionally confused with a Matte proof, I love the early orange peel Lincolns.

In contrast, the plating issue illustrated above is not desirable and hurts the grade of a choice, high grade zinc cent.

[RWBILLER]

Chris is right on, but you sill see problems on later coins, I guess just not a's many. Sometimes you find a 1983 and your afraid to touch it! Bubonic plague.

[mikediamond]

The proper term for this defect is "blistered plating".

[Maineman750]

"Orange Peel" is for paint

[liveandievarieties]

I thought "orange peel" was when you stole a piece of fruit from a street vendor...

I'll never get coins.