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 Replies: 13 / Views: 1,273 |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
933 Posts |
Well this one stood out to me while roll searching, it's probably nothing but won't know until I buy a scale tomorrow. Is it possible they started testing Zinc coins in 1981? Fields and worn areas on Lincoln show what I believe to be Zinc coming through  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1915 Posts |
Take a cent you know is copper and another you know is zinc and drop each on a table. Listen to the ring. The copper will make a high pitch PING sound, while the zinc will sound more like a thud. Then drop this coin on the same table and compare the sound to the other two coins. That will tell you if it is copper or zinc.
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Pillar of the Community
 Canada
933 Posts |
I did try that, I guess you have to have an ear for it cause I couldn't tell (one time it would thug, and next time it would ping) haha. I also tried Popsicle stick scale but couldn't get the stick to balance with out anything on it lol so didn't want to trust that. And of course the only store that I could find that sells small gram scales are closed Monday Tuesday Wednesday lol
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
I do not see any exposed zinc at all, it takes a lot of circulation to wear through the copper plating on a Zincoln. Pre-1982 Zincoln off-metal strikes are not known to exist.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Take a ruler and place it on a pencil at the 6 inch mark. Put your coin at the end so it covers from the edge to the 3/4 inch mark. Take a known copper cent ad place it so it covers from 10 1/2 to 11 1/4. If your coin is zinc it should about balance at that point. If you have to slide the copper cent out closer to the end then your coin is copper as well.
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Moderator
 United States
14463 Posts |
I don't know if they started testing zincolns in 1981  But I do know some copper Lincoln cents were produced in 1983. |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4591 Posts |
The best information would come from using an accurate (calibrated) scale, one with accuracy of +/ 0.1 grams or better.
The copper cent weight 3.11g, the Zinc 2.5g
-----Burton 50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983) Author: 3rd Edition of the Sample Slabs book, https://www.sampleslabs.info/ |
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Rest in Peace
United States
17900 Posts |
Looks like plain old patination to me.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
933 Posts |
It ended up 2.94g on a Triton T2 scale
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3644 Posts |
Glad you got your scale-fuzzy I weigh every '83 I come across in the hunt for that ever elusive copper I'm sure there's others out there-has there been an '83 D copper found yet?
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
933 Posts |
Is this within mint tolerance?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3644 Posts |
That's only about 5% off I would say yes Kman I can't remember the tolerances off hand tho but someone here will
Edited by Slamnbass
02/04/2016 4:56 pm
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
933 Posts |
Ok thanks Slamnbass, ya I tried to do research on Weight Tolerances but the Internet is now full of garbage, I find it very hard to find anything I type in search engines now adays |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Tolerance is +/- .13 grams
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Replies: 13 / Views: 1,273 |
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Posted 02/03/2016 5:39 pm
