Wheat Penny Question - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 5 / Views: 1,373
Fat Freddy Pillar of the Community United States 1200 Posts	Posted 06/23/2013 5:33 pm While going through a bank box of pennies today, I found a 1955 Wheat penny that appears to be silver-plated. The surfaces are nicely plated and unflawed but the edge is worn and a little bit of the copper body of the coin shows through. I presume this is the product of some silly commercial aftermarket (or private individual) plating exercise. I've never read about anything like this before. Does anybody know anything about this? Report this Post to the Staff

skyshark124 Pillar of the Community United States 1109 Posts	Posted 06/23/2013 5:40 pm I know it's pretty easy to zinc-coat copper cents. Sounds like that's what happened here perhaps. Report this Post to the Staff
Fat Freddy Pillar of the Community United States 1200 Posts	Posted 06/23/2013 6:02 pm The visual appearance is just like a good silver plating job. Does zinc plating have that same mirror-like shiny silver-colored visual appearance? This penny looks like something about half way between the visual appearance of a BU ASE and that of a proof ASE. The sad thing is it's in better condition than 99% of the wheats I've ever found. It would've been close to the single best-preserved wheat I've ever found if it hadn't been ruined. Oh, well... Edited by Fat Freddy 06/23/2013 6:03 pm Report this Post to the Staff
nalaberong Pillar of the Community Canada 2805 Posts	Posted 06/23/2013 9:12 pm Fresh zinc plating is indeed very shiny. If you want to go all the way, try heating it up with a torch (although a barbecue lighter would probably work). If the penny turns gold, it's zinc - zinc has a low melting point, and will form a thin film of liquid zinc around the copper penny. However, liquid metals dissolve other metals, so copper from the penny will immediately dissolve in the zinc, making brass. If it doesn't do that, it's plated with something else, and it's time to break out the analytical chemistry kit :D Report this Post to the Staff
Fat Freddy Pillar of the Community United States 1200 Posts	Posted 06/24/2013 09:23 am Thanks for the info. Oh, well -- one way or the other... Close to the best wheatie I ever found is junked with a stupid plating job. I may get one of those little coin stands and put it on one of the bookshelves above my desk so I can look at and ponder the irony of life when I'm working at the desk. Report this Post to the Staff
skyshark124 Pillar of the Community United States 1109 Posts	Posted 06/24/2013 5:50 pm I always keep cool finds like that, from either CRH or pocket change or wherever. I have a whole side collection of random finds. Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 5 / Views: 1,373

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