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 Replies: 28 / Views: 25,208 |
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New Member
United States
11 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
Canada
10743 Posts |
Hi, kwyant.. if a magnet doesn't stick to it, it's not steel. I would say it has been plated with something.  |
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Moderator
 United States
56855 Posts |
 The mark by the D is either a die crack or more likely a die gouge.
John1  |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
SHAFTA9a: That is a reasonable suggestion. I have several plated coins of different countries, and one or two of them seem to be deliberately deceptive, to pose as off metal strikes.
For instance, I have a nickel plated (I think) 1937 British 12 sided threepence, this coin has been holed, I suspect make it difficult to confirm the correct weight. It very difficult to confirm visually if the metal in the hole is brass or not. C. Wilson Peck reports on the existence of a copper nickel off metal strike, but this coin is thinner than standard. Mine appears to be of standard thickness.
I also have an almost as struck antoninianus of Postumus (usurper emperor in Gaul, AD 259-268), which is gold plated, and which I am rather fond of. It is worth no more than an unplated equivalent, which I also have. With the gold plated coin, there is no intention to deceive in this case, because it is so obvious. I just like it.
Another interesting Brit coin I have is a small module copper plated steel 10 P ( usually copper nickel) of 1992. Perhaps some of our British friends can tell me how rare (or common) this coin is. I suspect that a planchet for a 2P coin was used. This is only a suspicion because I cannot see how a 25.9mm planchet for a 2P coin can fit in the collar for a 24.5mm 10P coin. I need a bit more explanation.
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Valued Member
United States
83 Posts |
Looks like some kind of plating was done. 55's were the usual 95% Copper, 5% Tin and Zinc
And as stated by John, that looks like a die crack or gouge in the die. Hard to tell from the photo if it is a raised mark.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3640 Posts |
Could be a glob of the zinc. coating ?
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Rest in Peace
United States
3039 Posts |
Before the hazards were known (and even after) many coins were mercury coated - AHHH.
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Rest in Peace
United States
3039 Posts |
By the way, kwynat  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3640 Posts |
Yea, could be mercury also. You mean that stuff is hazardous ? :) I remember way back when the original etch n' sketchs were filled with mercury. We didn't know any better. Well, kids have to do what they do :) Oh by the way, do not play with the stuff anyway anymore. I won't go into anymore detail here about the merc. as this is a coin thread. By the way, I turned out just fine. That extra eye on the back of my head has turned out to be very useful  |
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Valued Member
United States
364 Posts |
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New Member
 United States
11 Posts |
Thanks for all the input. In the absence of perfect knowledge, I'm inclined to believe the plating theory. It is interesting that there are a few other questions about 1955 silver pennies making me think that somebody might have made several of them. Of course I don't know what it was plated with. I've heard of chromed coins, but this isn't chrome. Nickel is a good guess. I have no desire to take it out the 2x2 in case it is something having to do with mercury. Is the concern about mercury that it simply dipped in mercury so the mercury liquid covers it, or is there a process to plate with mercury?
Oh, thanks for all the welcomes. Looks like a nice forum here.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6381 Posts |
Liquid mercury forms an alloy (called amalgam) with many different metals. If you place a silver coin in mercury it will develop a brilliant, shiny amalgam coating in just a few minutes. I did this myself when I was a kid. The bright silver color will become dull over time. Copper and gold form amalgams as well.
The danger with liquid mercury (and with exposed amalgam) is that mercury vapor is given off even at room temperature. That vapor is toxic and will produce serious neurological problems if you are exposed to large amounts over a long time. The danger posed by a single coated coin however is pretty minimal.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3098 Posts |
There could be silver pennies, but I guess those would have to be wrong planchets, like if a dime planchet got into the cent production lines. There's no real way to tell what metal it exactly is, unless you have a metallurgical test kit. On the least, it's still worth a good 2.5c in good copper  |
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New Member
United States
11 Posts |
A friend has a gram scale accurate to 1 or 2 decimal places. This coins appears to be in uncirculated condition. I wonder if an exact weight will give any useful information. I appreciated that information about amalgam. I did not know that. Since mercury makes copper look like silver, that could well be what I have here. It seems too chrome like to be silver, at least comparing to my other silver like mercury or Roosevelt dimes. Of course I don't know what a plated coin would look like. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3592 Posts |
I've got one like this ( a 1944 LWC) in my stash somewhere....from about 30 years ago...and a dealer back then told me it was mercury. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7629 Posts |
Okay...
The coin is definitely plated, and it was done outside the mint. There's no chance that's an error of any kind. What it is plated with would remain a mystery without some testing, but it does not appear to be mercury.
The mark next to and on the D of GOD is a coin scrape - damage.
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Replies: 28 / Views: 25,208 |
Posted 10/21/2010 06:47 am
