1981 Canada 1 Cent, Silver Color - Error Coin ? High School Experiment ?

weight of the coin would go a long way in helping determine if it is a wrong planchet error

is it magnetic? weight as well. however if this was a dime, you would probably know because the thickness is wayyy different from a penny.

I think it is either painted or plated.

I got another photo to come out a little bit now too.

That's the right weight for a 81 cent and as it was
made of copper, it would be non-magnetic.
Possibly a mercury coated High School experiment coin.

It could also be struck on a New Zealand 5-cent coin (2.83 grams, copper-nickel planchet). I have one as an example:

http://www.PCGS.com/cert/33950452

I have an XRF in my lab at work, and I am very familiar with off-metals in this series. I would happily test it for you at no cost, you just have to pay the shipping. I have done this for others in the forum.

I have an Ohaus scale that goes down to mg's, and while not certified, I do think it is very accurate. I took the weights from the kit and put on 2.8g and it read spot on. Did it a few different ways (different mixtures of weights, got it to read a mg off at worst).

I do throw all the Canadian pennies I get from change in a cup, I was able to find a normal looking 1981 in there (Other years I think weigh the same, but like the idea of finding an exact 1981). It weighed 2.845g. Do they actually weigh a little more than 2.8g ?

I put a USA nickel out of my pocket on it just now too, was 4.998g. Which seems realistic, a little wear it could lose 2mg of weight or my scale could be off by that too. But, that 44mg off seems like a bit much.

I find quite a few aspects of this strange. For instance if it was coated with mercury, would that mercury have some weight added to it (Would make sense it weight 44mg more) but then we have the other 1981 that is weight 45mg over the 2.8g.

Now I'm back to being curious about it again :)

I read in that other thread that the mercury can have a greasy feel to it. It does feel slightly more greasy than the normal 1 cent, but no more than a Canadian dime I have sitting does.

All this said, I am in the United States and not daily familiar with these coins. Mostly, the Canadian coins are a "let down" to me haha - I search dimes from the bank and look at them from the side to see if there is a copper band. My heart skips a beat every time I see no copper band on the side, I get excited and then I'm sad when it is a Canadian and not a 1964 or older USA dime for the 90% silver content :)

I appreciate the offer to test it, and I may very well accept that offer if its left open ended still after awhile longer of talking about it.

I don't think it is the 5 cent one because that one had extra space around the edges in the pictures, and this one looks really close to the other 1981 I have to look at, just not the same color.

Almost sure in 1980s no one is experimenting with mercury as a plating agent, probably too smart to use this product.

The mercury by my understanding is that it by itself would be a liquid at room temp but it bonds (I'm sure there is a better word than that though) with another metal and that rule changes at that point. I'm leaning in the mercury direction.

I spent more than an hour I probably shouldn't have today playing with the scale (Well, technically its a balance). I am able to reproduce errors now. More specifically, and most importantly, I can get the scale to read a lower weight if I place the coin on to it slowly. Which explains why when I stacked up 2.800 of weights I got it to read right. I do not have near the faith on the coin weight as I did before. If I slowly place the coin on the scale, then it reads closer to 2.8g, etc. So far all intents and purposes, lets assume this coin is simply standard weight for now.

I'm going to look in to what it costs to get the scale calibrated and certified. I'd really like to get that done now if its not terribly priced to do so.