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 Replies: 24 / Views: 2,837 |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Guessing it was plated. Can you give us the weight?
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Valued Member
 United States
181 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
117 Posts |
It is possible that it is a foreign planchet. Over the years, there have been over 40 countries coins minted at US Mints. The majority in Philadelphia. Since 1973 1C should be 95% copper and 5% zinc, a different mixture would indicate a foreign planchet. The weight may not help too much as many of the brass alloy planchets were of similar weight. But you do need the weight. It is easy to get a digital gram scale that measures to the hundredths of a gram for less than $10.
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Valued Member
United States
181 Posts |
I would need to look into that I suppose.
Any suggestions on brand?
But, based on what I can provide now. Is this a coin of interest or is this leaning on the side of something like a cleaning gone wrong or other type of damage.. etc..
I know without an exact weight you said it isn't likely to help determine if it's brass, but in your opinion. I see also though that a link previously posted on the info for brass planchet doesn't have this year on it.
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Valued Member
United States
181 Posts |
Just want to try and think of other possibilities before I lean into it being an error.  Thanks for that info vindex, I never really considered the us mint would make coins for non us currency.  |
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Valued Member
United States
181 Posts |
It's isn't magnetic.
From what I've been looking into..
Brass plated = magnetic
Brass = non-magnetic
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10635 Posts |
It isn't minted on a foreign planchette. Some people try to overly complicate things that in reality have very simple explanations. Tones of Lincoln cents can vary with even slight environmental conditions. Look at brand new pennies and how bright and shiny and golden in colour they are, and if you collect them over the various years you can see different tones/colours they can be. Unless you personally kept the coin, you don't know what conditions they could be subject to. Different environments can affect coins (especially copper) very differently. And too, you don't know if your "satin" finish didn't come from some kid playing around with a can of clear paint spray.
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Valued Member
United States
181 Posts |
Thanks merc! That was my first suspicion because these are from bank rolls so no idea how they've been handled. Can't really find what would match it and isn't a year listed on the brass planchet info website.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
62064 Posts |
Rub the edge of the coin to see if the coating wears off. It is is plated will will resist the wear. Coating will wear off and show the copper color under the coatings. As mentioned paint, nail polish, acids, even soda acid/vinegar, ketchup, salsa can etch the surface on a coin. (Vinegar often turns cents pink in color)
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Valued Member
United States
181 Posts |
So I was curious again and was messing around with taking pictures in a different room of the house that had better lighting and didn't have to use flash on my phone. though there is more obvious lighting, this is as close to what I am seeing as I can get with my phone camera. I did go against my better judgment and tried scratching a spot and it doesn't seem like a pink/red copper tone. I tried to get a good photo but is frustrating sometimes and gave up. Will try again tomorrow.  .. Hope everyone is staying safe and not making unusual volumes of bored ebay buys like me today(working on proof set collection)    |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5774 Posts |
Quote:
Quote:
95% copper 5% zinc is a brass not a bronze. And they are supposed to be plated with pure copper. And when the plating solution is fresh they are. But with every batch of planchets plated the solution becomes more and more contaminated with zinc and the plating becomes a brass plating. The longer the solution is used before it is changed the higher the zinc content in the plating becomes. So other than the first batch of planchets in a fresh solution ALL Zinc Lincolns have a brass plating. The only question is how much zinc is in the brass. Sometimes they don't get the solution changed before the planchets start taking on a decided yellow color. That copper plating solution wouldn't apply to a solid copper cent from 1973. Hate to say it but that cent looks like it has been exposed to the elements and oxidized on the surface. The darker areas are from oils on the hands rubbing onto the coin from being handled. Words of encouragement are one of the major food groups.
We need to consume them regularly to thrive and grow.
Edited by Petespockets55
03/30/2020 06:26 am
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Valued Member
United States
117 Posts |
You asked about what scale I would recommend. Any scale that will give you weight to the second decimal point. I bought a AWS-100 from Amazon for less than $10. The simplest explanation is generally the best. Oxidation is responsible for its color. Most 95% CU and 5% Zn cents oxidize brown rather than the brass color in your picture. That could be from an impurity in the particular alloy used. It would also show up in all of the 1973 cents minted from that particular alloy. You see that particular color in the 1936 1C and some of the 1920's. You don't typically see it in the 1970's 1 C's. The earlier dated 1C had a mixture of tin and zinc which could account for the brass color. |
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Valued Member
United States
181 Posts |
Good info ! If all else I can use this thread as an example to look at one possible way for the LMC to tone or oxidize. Unless I test what the penny is made of which just seems like overkill and waste of money. Though, for the sake of it I'll still try and get a clear photo of where I scratched a spot. If it's copper it should be a pink/red color right? And to answer coops question to if it wouldn't rub off, no, it took a decent about of pressure to scratch it. Thanks for the brand suggestion, I ended up ordering a AWS that gos in .01 increments. That should be it right? Edited by Hermz
03/30/2020 10:40 am
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Valued Member
United States
117 Posts |
American Weigh Scale AWS-100 Digital Pocket Scale, 100g X 0.01g Resolution. That is how it is listed on Amazon prime. It is 8.95 with free shipping for prime members  |
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Valued Member
United States
181 Posts |
That's the one, should be here this weekend.
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Posted 03/29/2020 12:32 pm
