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 Replies: 9 / Views: 1,310 |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1700 Posts |
For school, I have a few months to conduct a chemistry research in the lab and write a paper that follows it.
Since I've been involved with coin collecting, I am considering research in investigating a certain application of chemistry in this field. It has to be something with experiments involved.
My question is, is there currently something in the coin collecting field worthy of chemistry investigation? I know that many chemical have been sold to treat oxidized coins, toned coins, etc., but I'm sure there's a lot more to that. Please be as vague as you want to be, or as specific as you want to be.
Please don't worry about limitations that I might run into (e.g. difficulty, supplies, level of chemistry required), as I prefer to have ideas first and then work my way down to specific metals and chemicals. The use of such forum is permitted for me in this stage of brainstorming ideas.
Thanks to all!
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5828 Posts |
 I once did the infamous "1943 Cent Experiment", in which I used different cleaners and chemicals to try and strip the rust of rusty 1943 wheat cents... IDK if this would work for you, but i'd be okay if you used my idea and ramped it up (but dont plagerize, lol(link: https://goccf.com/t/247440)). |
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Moderator
 United States
34428 Posts |
It is more metallurgy than chemistry, but if you have access to XRF (or perhaps more likely, an SEM with EDS), you could buy a bunch of Chinese fakes and determine whether any of them actually have any silver in them. Since this only looks at the surface, you could scan the coins's surface and then abrade the surface to get a second scan of the elemental make-up.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6370 Posts |
Edited by TypeCoin971793
03/25/2016 6:07 pm
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Valued Member
United States
403 Posts |
 toning is a rich area, which can make a huge difference in eye appeal and value to a collector. Why are some cents red and others brown? What are the compounds involved, with mechanisms and kinetics for getting there? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7066 Posts |
The causes, symptoms, and treatments for bronze disease - something many collectors of ancient coins deal with from time to time - is also a rich area. A starting point is below, but there's tons of stuff to be found in articles and threads on the popular coin forums: http://kevinscoins.ancients.info/BD...Disease.html |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1005 Posts |
An investigation into electrolytic reduction of encrusted coins also might be of merit, there's a lot of redox chemistry to be explored.
One thing that is particularly interesting to me is how metal composition in a coin alloy changes heterogeneously with time... I remember Swamperbob talking about how silver is enriched near the coin surface since the copper leaches away.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
3831 Posts |
Toning can be a difficult field to look at. I believe a forum member here has posted an article previously.
Maybe another interesting field is to look at the current chemical composition of coinage and justify why they are excellent for circulation. Canada has a good example of the multi ply steel coins. Compare it against nickel-copper, aluminum bronze, steel only coins etc.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5362 Posts |
Petersun Since you are in Canada I would of course concentrate on Canadian circulating coins to keep it interesting.
Starting with coins from circulation you could - experiment with different acids to remove toning and corrosion. If you have access to a microscope you could take photos of the surface effects of acids to show the effects on the surface of the alloy.
Then you could experiment with duplicating toning, you could even alter the coin (remove a number or letter) and see if you could get a good color blend.
I have always liked experiments involving the degradation of coins that fall on the ground. Perhaps you could do a test to estimate how long nature would take to reabsorb a coin in various soils. Use increased strengths of naturally occurring acids.
In the US we have zinc core coins - they deteriorate fast in water and could cause water pollution effects. Perhaps a experiment could be performed that would estimate the effects of coins sitting in fresh water on water quality and the death of fish for example.
Could be a lot of fun.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
818 Posts |
I've thought of a novel way of detecting counterfeit coins. I do not have the time to pursue it. More physics than chemistry. PM me.
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Replies: 9 / Views: 1,310 |
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Posted 03/24/2016 6:17 pm
