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 Replies: 26 / Views: 12,343 |
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New Member
United States
12 Posts |
Found a silver penny at work at first I was excited. As a coin collector should e when finding another unusual coin to add to their collection. On later inspection after work I noticed it wasn't a steel penny from 1944-1943 instead was from 1965. I was now confused and started researching. 1965 can be mercury plated zinc coated or chemically altered so I showed it to my grandfather after finding it to be magnetic (not as much as a 1944-1943 steel penny would be) he had the same ideas I had as well. Mercury since silver aluminum. Without any lab equipment other than the table of elements and a magnet we determined it is can't be altered plated or anything else. Because of the magnetic attraction it has. In short I need help identifying a 1965 silver/steel penny that is attracted to magnets. Any help or advice is greatly appreciated. There are no sites depicting this coin at all. The only one that did had no comments or posts.  |
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Rest in Peace
10197 Posts |
 to the family! That is a plated coin, made for promotions, fantasy or in high school chemistry class! Most likely chromed, very shiny, has no value and may not make it through a Coinstar machine! |
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New Member
 United States
12 Posts |
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New Member
United States
12 Posts |
I used the led in my dark room to take that photo might be abbot briighter than it really is...
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
12477 Posts |
Better pics of both sides may help. That one is pretty bright!  If magnetic and plated, the only thing I can think of is nickel. Zinc is antiferromagnetic and diamagnetic under certain circumstances. Chrome is paramagnetic, but only at higher temps. How strong of a magnet is being used? Edit: and mercury is weakly diamagnetic (opposes the field). In Memory of Crazyb0 12-26-1951 to 7-27-2020
In Memory of Tootallious 3-31-1964 to 4-15-2020
In Memory of T-BOP 10-12-1949 to 1-19-2024
Edited by spru
04/16/2017 02:24 am
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New Member
United States
12 Posts |
Here are more pictures of the coin and the magnet I used.  Much better shot of front of the coin. Sorry it got cut off a little. (No led/ flash used)  This is the back side, did not use phone led light this time.  This is the magnet I used. It fits inside the penny's diameter with about a millimeter to spare. It is about a quarter cm in thickness. Not sure how strong it is... |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12477 Posts |
Your description of the magnet and the fuzzy pic makes me think it is a stronger neodymium magnet. I also see quite a few good hits on the coin, especially the obverse. Is there any sign of copper color poking through? That would certainly point to plating. I think a steel cent planchet is out of the question considering the surface reflectivity and the weaker magnetic attraction (not to mention the time gap). The only other thing I can think of is it being struck on a foreign planchet at the Philly mint that contained a high percentage of nickel.  In Memory of Crazyb0 12-26-1951 to 7-27-2020
In Memory of Tootallious 3-31-1964 to 4-15-2020
In Memory of T-BOP 10-12-1949 to 1-19-2024
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New Member
United States
12 Posts |
There isn't any copper poking through that I can tell.
I also think that this magnet which is neodymium would not have enough material to be able to lift the penny. Plating seems like not enough material to magnitize and lift with.
The coin did not fade. It's the difference in glare and lighting used. One was in a pitch black room with the led flash the other in a well lit room.
After closer examination I have half blinded myself xD. I have learned not to shine bright light at the flat portion behind Lincoln's head...
I saw no signs of copper on any of the coins blemishes or dents. I found some gunk still left on the coin and cleaned that off tho.
Edited by l Serenity l
04/17/2017 12:47 pm
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New Member
United States
12 Posts |
 of confusion here still... |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
The first thing you need to do is weigh it. Without an accurate weight, everything else is speculation.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
How magneetic is it? Does it "jump" tp the magnet or is it weakly attracted? ie the magnet will drag it around or pick it up but that's about all.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12477 Posts |
Quote:
Without an accurate weight, everything else is speculation.  To the tenth of a gram at least. In Memory of Crazyb0 12-26-1951 to 7-27-2020
In Memory of Tootallious 3-31-1964 to 4-15-2020
In Memory of T-BOP 10-12-1949 to 1-19-2024
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New Member
United States
12 Posts |
It is a slight attraction. However I am still able to lift the coin with a little distance 1mm from the magnet. I can almost pull the coin around with the magnet however it breaks off quite often.
I found a scale at work today I'll see if I can weigh it before I start work tomorrow around 3. It weighs in oz. accurate enough to weigh a paper dollar bill. I'll get back to you in about 16-17 hrs with a weight. Maybe sooner if my professor has a scale.
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Moderator
 Australia
16804 Posts |
A neodymium or other rare earth magnet is usually extremely powerful; you see magnetic effects with these magnets that are beyond the "normal, everyday" experience of magnetism. If the coin is plated with iron or, more likely, nickel, then the magnet is easily powerful enough to pick up the coin on the attraction of the plating alone. I have some tokens which I know are nickel-plated brass; a neodymium magnet can pick them up easily.
The other test is this: get another magnet, one that you know is much weaker - one of those thin metallized-plastic magnets stuck to the refrigerator, for example. Again, compare the forces of your mystery coin and of a "normal" piece of iron the same size (like an actual 1943 steel cent). A much weaker magnet would barely stick to a nickel-plating.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
OK weakly attacted. Then what you have is a nickel plated cent. Pure nickel is highly magnetic, but the thin plating means there just isn't enough "meat" there for the magnet to really grab onto. With a weaker magnet you could probably detect the attraction, and it might be able to slowly drag it around on a flat smooth surface, but probably not be able to lift it. The rare earth magnet is very strong and can hang onto it better but the attraction is still weak. If it had been steel or pure nickel the coin would jump to even a weaker magnet and it would hard to pull away from a rare earth magnet. (nickel alloys lose their magnetic properties when the percentage of alloy rises above about 12%. Most copper nickel coinage alloys are over 60% alloy.)
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New Member
United States
12 Posts |
The penny weighs about 4 grams. The scale doesn't do tenths of a gram -_-
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Replies: 26 / Views: 12,343 |
Posted 04/16/2017 01:42 am
