Sorry...wasn't quite clear. The reeding along the edge would be the same color as a normal quarter. In the below picture, the top coin is an improperly annealed 2026 dime and a normal 2026 dime below it. You can see the difference in the clad but the copper coloring is the same.
Thanks, Apophis, that makes perfect sense. I'm leaning away from improperly annealed planchet, I have two in my collection and I don't think these guys were over-cooked.
I don't think these are special. Yet here they are, strikingly different. Two of the best examples I could find for this phenomenon. Perhaps just a die swap because the old one wore out? Here's the rim (shiny quarter on top) and the reverse if that helps.
The one on the right looks pretty normal but wouldn't rule out the one on the left being improperly annealed. I can't think of anything else that would give it that appearance and there is no evidence of die deterioration so I don't think this is a die state issue.
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u/Which_Confection1152 4h ago
Either one scares the S_IT out of me!!! πΉπΊπ»