Introduction

A coin can be damaged in a million different ways while in circulation, without being present when the damage is taking place, you don't really know the true cause or the intent. There are a number of tell-tale signs of specific damage though, which once you see it you can pattern match in your brain similarities. Some important points to remember:

Corrosion

Copper-Plated Zinc Cents

Zinc-Plated Steel

Copper-Nickel-Plated Copper

Copper-Nickel Alloy

Silver-Copper Clad

Silver-Copper Alloy

Tooling

Coin Rolling Machine

Snips or Shears

Mounting - Bezels

Antique Coin Savers

Alterations

Elemental

Captured

Foreign Substance

Shelac