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 Replies: 12 / Views: 6,110 |
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Valued Member
United States
237 Posts |
Is this unheard of? I was diving through a bunch of cents when I saw an steel cent. I didn't originally look at the date until recently when I saw it was 1976. It sticks to magnets and everything. Is this a new wrong planchet error? I really am dumbfounded.   However, I am no fan of the large dents in the coin. Edited by SecretGlitch
01/26/2008 3:46 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5318 Posts |
Well...if it sticks to magnets, it's not Al  And not a plated bronze penny, so you have something!  Perhaps it's struck on a nickel planchet? (And I mean ~90-100% Ni, and not our CuNi 5c pieces) The US mint has struck some foreign currency, and I'd think that's more likely than a unknown pattern coin. Edited by KurtS
01/26/2008 3:44 pm
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Valued Member
 United States
237 Posts |
Oops, I guess I should have written Steel instead of Aluminum. But it's probably aluminum plated steel, like the 1943 planchets. It couldn't be nickel, do to it sticking to a magnet, and I beleive the mint only did foreign planchet errors in their early years.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
827 Posts |
nice, a foreign planchet error. Nice  I'll trade it for a shiny new penny? lol |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3507 Posts |
Whatever it was plated with , sticks to a magnet....
Or it may be a wrong planchet error
the cuts in it destroys the coin.
Also, it was not uncommon to fake wrong planchet errors by cutting first then plating.
It is extremely important to know the history of the coin and how you aquired it.
I have at least ten plated cents that look just like that one. It was common in 1976 because of all the selling of Bicentennial sets with coins in them that were plated outside the mint.
Without a close , in hand look at the coin. I cant be sure which scenario fits.
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Valued Member
United States
237 Posts |
There's one very simple way for me to tell if this is real. If it weighs 2.8 grams, it's real. If it weighs 3.1, it's not. Now if I only had a scale that could tell me that percise weight...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3507 Posts |
Weighing it is a good way to start. I have found that a local and friendly pharmacist can often help.
Explain that you are researching the coin and that you are trying to get the weight in grams.
That way you don't need to buy a scale for the very few times where weight of a coin is an issue.
It will probably weigh more than 3.1 gms due to the plating.
Edited by foundinrolls
01/27/2008 12:34 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1424 Posts |
you can get a decent gram scale from harbor freight for around $10-$20 and you will have a use for one on several occasions in this hobby. http://search.harborfreight.com/cpi...d=gram+scaleIn the meantime try sticking your coin and a steel wheatie to a strong magnet at the same time and see if they take the same amount of effort to remove, that may show whether or not it's just a steel plating. |
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Valued Member
United States
145 Posts |
quote:
It couldn't be nickel, do to it sticking to a magnet
Actually Nickel is a ferromagnetic element so will stick quite nicely to a magnet. The reason US nickels don't is because they are only 25% nickel and 75% copper. Take a Canadian nickel dated between 1955-81 which are 99.9% nickel and you will find it is very attracted to the magnet. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1571 Posts |
Jorgy, you beat me to the point, but yes, that is true.
I find that the 2007, as well as some of the 2006 Canadaian cent rolls stick to a magnet, also.
Dick
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Valued Member
United States
145 Posts |
Since 2000 most Canadian coins cent through quarter have steel cores plated with copper/nickel.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1571 Posts |
Jorgy, I'm finding that out. I just acquired over 3000 cents, (four rolls of 2007m BU), and finally finished sorting them by date, into rolls. I noted certain things during the "sort", having received a 2005 catalogue, as well, that certain varieties are harder to find than others. Most interesting. I wish I had gotten into Canadian coins, (cents), sooner! I found that MDD varieties are also valued, (in lower grades).
Dick
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Valued Member
United States
237 Posts |
The news is in. This coin weighs...
3.1 grams. And unless it's made of nickel, it's worth a nickel.
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Replies: 12 / Views: 6,110 |
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Posted 01/26/2008 3:20 pm
