1982 D Zinc Rot Experiment - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 9 / Views: 662
donnie59 Pillar of the Community United States 780 Posts	Posted 11/14/2023 09:49 am There was a post last week about zinc rot on a coin and it got me wondering if the zinc damage could be possibly cleaned up. I have an 82D that was severely damaged with rot. I was not gentle with it. After a 24 hr. soak in acetone, I soaked it in white vinegar for 48 hours and then took a toothbrush to it. The results proved just how damaging zinc rot was to a coin. Weight before: 2.295 Weight after: 1.689 Report this Post to the Staff

Spence Moderator United States 34397 Posts	Posted 11/14/2023 10:15 am Yikes it has lost approximately one third of its weight! "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 Report this Post to the Staff
donnie59 Pillar of the Community United States 780 Posts	Posted 11/14/2023 10:26 am Yep! I'm sure the toothbrush scrubbing and the 5% vinegar solution was responsible for some of the metal loss, but I'm thinking the zinc rot was the primary cause of the decay and loss of mass. Report this Post to the Staff
jbuck Moderator United States 188052 Posts	Posted 11/14/2023 10:27 am Very interesting and creepy! Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
ijn1944 Bedrock of the Community United States 19141 Posts	Posted 11/14/2023 11:34 am Oogie Boogie reverse... Report this Post to the Staff
Errers and Varietys Bedrock of the Community United States 73929 Posts	Posted 11/14/2023 12:39 pm Pretty interesting result! Errers and Varietys. Report this Post to the Staff
Cujohn Pillar of the Community United States 7174 Posts	Posted 11/14/2023 5:28 pm No return after it starts, it just gets worse until it disintegrates. Report this Post to the Staff
Dearborn Moderator United States 95432 Posts	Posted 11/14/2023 5:59 pm Well that vinegar is pretty acidic and can account for a huge loss of weight. Try soaking a chicken bone in that vinegar - it will leach out all the calcium and turn it into a rubbery 'bone'. Collecting since 1972. Learning from then on "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Benjamin Franklin 7070 type set coin count: 51/76 Uncirculated American Silver Eagles My American Silver Eagle Proof Collection Sacagawea Dollars Innovation Dollars Eisenhower-Dollars Kennedy-Half Dollars Washington-Quarters Roosevelt-Dimes Buffalo-Nickels 1938-2005 Jefferson-Nickels Lincoln-Cents Report this Post to the Staff
donnie59 Pillar of the Community United States 780 Posts	Posted 11/15/2023 09:11 am @ Dearborn, I did expect some metal loss from the vinegar because the rot had already made a hole on the reverse and started to deteriorate the coin. If you look at the obverse, where the zinc had not been exposed it appears to be relatively unaffected. Ironically manufacturers of zinc die cast toys briefly soak the toy parts in a solution of oxalic acid, which is similar to a 5% white vinegar solution, before painting the parts to help stem the zinc rot. Report this Post to the Staff
hfjacinto Pillar of the Community United States 7273 Posts	Posted 11/15/2023 09:38 am You don't even need vinegar. Leave a zincoln out in the elements and it will just corrode. Zinc will corrode with just rain water as its soluble in a base or acid solution. As most rain is basic, a zincoln won't last a few years in the elements. Heck a few days and its all corroded. My Slabbed Dansco 7070 with Gold Page My Slabbed IHC Set My Slabbed 20th Century Type Set Report this Post to the Staff
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