Liberty Head? Large Cent Has Known Better Days

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Author	Replies: 6 / Views: 109
lahave56 Valued Member Canada 196 Posts	Posted Today 10H 2M ago I had some items XRF tested yesterday and I threw this in to qualify for a quantity discount. It weighs 7.77 g and has a diameter of 27.55 mm. It looks like a Liberty Head to me. I think it was a ground find that someone decided to subject to an acid dip to try to bring up a date. Obviously not successful. I decided to post because the XRF results were: Cu 97.8 % Os 1.54 % Ir 0.66 % showing traces of Osmonium and Iridium. I found that interesting. Google says Quote: Manufacturers use alloys of osmium with platinum, iridium, and other platinum-group metals for fountain pen nib tipping, electrical contacts, and other applications that require extreme durability and hardness The coin for thickness comparison is an 1845 Large Cent. Report this Post to the Staff

jbuck Moderator United States 192314 Posts	Posted Today 5H 21M ago Very interesting! Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
JennyCents Valued Member United States 56 Posts	Posted Today 2H 20M ago Being that corroded it could very well have been in the grounds where the copper leached out of the coin and the Osmonium and Iridium was attracted to the copper and actually leached into the coin and bonded with the copped molecules. After some quick research Osmonium and Iridium weren't added to copper to make any kind of alloy - especially back in the 1850's. Fun research. Report this Post to the Staff
lahave56 Valued Member Canada 196 Posts	Posted Today 2H 3M ago I like your theory @JennyCents although I don't have a chemistry background I did read that Osmium and Iridium do occur together naturally as an alloy and so having the coin come into contact with that in the ground seems quite reasonable. Fun research for sure! Report this Post to the Staff
lahave56 Valued Member Canada 196 Posts	Posted Today 1H 51M ago A little more research reveals that the osmium iridium alloy is also one of the byproducts in copper mining so perhaps the traces are just impurities in the copper used to produce the coin itself. I had never heard of osmium before yesterday. Report this Post to the Staff
Errers and Varietys Bedrock of the Community United States 76588 Posts	Posted Today 1H 11M ago Looks like my 1794 Liberty Cap Large Cent that I bought off of ebay. It was likely dug up from the ground. It's got a pretty similar look to your coin. Errers and Varietys. Report this Post to the Staff
Dearborn Moderator United States 101613 Posts	Posted Today 55M ago nice coin, interesting theories on how it obtained the other elements on the coin Osmonium? Collecting since 1972. Learning from then on "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Benjamin Franklin 7070 type set coin count: 51/76 Uncirculated American Silver Eagles My American Silver Eagle Proof Collection Sacagawea Dollars Innovation Dollars Eisenhower-Dollars Kennedy-Half Dollars Washington-Quarters Roosevelt-Dimes Buffalo-Nickels 1938-2005 Jefferson-Nickels Lincoln-Cents Report this Post to the Staff
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