| Author |
 Replies: 9 / Views: 3,361 |
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
543 Posts |
So I added what I had thought was a 1974-D copper cent to my collection. Testing it with another 1974-D cent by dropping each one, one of those has a distinct flat sound. 1974 happened to be the year where a select few cents were made of aluminum. There is no way this is one of them as it has a copper color and besides all the aluminum cents are accounted for. Visually, both cents are the same. Both also have the same weight at the 3.2 G. Am I the first to make this discovery?
|
|
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1249 Posts |
I'm sorry I don't quite understand. Are you referring to the sound as a discovery? It could be a thicker coin it could be the way it hits. How many times did you drop it. Also what are you dropping it on. If it looks the same and weighs the same it's probably the same. 3.2 grams is about right on for copper pennies if your scale only goes to the 10th. Pictures help also
Edited by tweak800
09/28/2015 7:18 pm
|
|
Pillar of the Community
 United States
543 Posts |
Discovering a LMC with a very distinct different sound that was made before the change to copper-coated zinc. I had someone else agree that the two sounded quite different. I will bring them to the LCS. |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
543 Posts |
Pictures may not do much since they are so identical looking. The coin in question is ever-so slightly struck a bit off center and does not make the sound of any other copper-sounding penny when you tap it on a wooden or glass surface.
|
|
Valued Member
Canada
488 Posts |
Send it to get graded. I would love to see the label on that one. 1974d cent, slight offcenter with different sound.  |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1249 Posts |
How slightly off center is it because thickness will play a huge role in sound say if more of it is thicker than normal. A micrometer would probably reveal the difference
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
3463 Posts |
Quote:
1974 happened to be the year where a select few cents were made of aluminum. 1,571,167 - 1974 dated Aluminum alloy cents were struck. Source: http://www.lincolncentsonline.com/r...rieties.htmlYour cent is not Aluminum, but more than a few were made, some were even minted at the Denver mint. Maybe your coin is dirty, a dirty coin will sound different. I do a lot of coin searching, but dropping them to hear the sound they make has never been a test I use. Dropping coins causes damage. Do you test all coins this way? I have accidentally dropped one before  Edited by cwb
09/29/2015 01:31 am
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
624 Posts |
I agree that I don't like the sound test. If it is something you are collecting and looking to protect I don't see the sense of possibly damaging it just to have a little more information on it. There are other ways to go about finding discrepencies.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
What you probably have is something known as a "dumb" planchet. The sound is dull or even just a thud and it is caused by an internal flaw in in the planchet. (gas inclusion, internal crack etc.) The term "dumb" is used because that is an old (and today somewhat offensive) term for someone that is mute or can't speak. (A deaf mute would be referred to as being "Deaf and Dumb".)
Edited by Conder101
09/29/2015 08:19 am
|
|
Valued Member
United States
418 Posts |
Flip the coin in the air with your thumb as if doing a coin toss to see if that produces the ringing sound it should have.
|
| |
Replies: 9 / Views: 3,361 |
|
Posted 09/28/2015 7:19 pm
