Scanning Dateless Coins With Acoustic Microscopy

Logic tells me that where raised detail on a coin occurs, the metal under that detail must be less compressed than that immediately next to it. I GUESS that must result in the crystalline structure of the metal differing at the boundary between less and more compressed metal.

Perhaps this could be revealed by x-ray crystallography techniques. This sort of investigative technique was pioneered by Sir Lawrence Bragg in the early part of the 20th century. He won a Nobel prize for it.

Are there any materials forensic experts in the CCF? If no one comes up with an answer, I'll have to talk to one of my friends. He DOES have a pHd in materials forensic science.

Whether he can divert some of his company's resources resources to the investigation of worn coins is an entirely different matter!

I feel like that might not happen. Maybe, but for the dumb people out there (myself included), they might not trust a TPG with some "doctored" image. When you look at it, it's still a dateless coin. Even believing in modern science, you'd still be looking at a dateless worn coin.

Hey, I have the dateless coin!

Sounds neat , but, "Good Grief", how much will it cost. I don't like having to pay for a chest x-ray much less an IHN or SLQ scan. I think there might be a break in price if you did several hundred at a time. Unless you own the equipment, I'll bet you're just making the x-ray tech rich.

Also, when we did NDI (non-destructive inspections) on aircraft parts, we had to use a pretty hefty machine. Actually it had it's own truck and trailer. Not that I really know, but where would you go to find a machine with the power to scan through certain alloys?

well right now it seems like it may not be econimical if it can be done....at this point in time with todays technologhy it might be able to be done, just 20-30 yrs ago it prob could not be done at all.
Just seeing if it can be done ,If it can in itself is a giant technological advance in the industry

But the future always makes technology cost cheaper...At one point 1987-89 a IBM home computer with 286hz ,256k minitor ,b&w printer and 20mb hard drive was almost $2,000 and it was up to date at the time. While now a days you can get a up to date home coumputer for $500 +/- with rebates and so on...
That was just 20 yrs ago.

So who knows maybe in another 20 yrs things like dating datless coins might be a common practice and very economical or maybe sooner

Cramykle,
In aviation when testing in a non destructive way small parts they use magnaflux ( metal/dye fluid and a magnet under florecent light to see micro cracks )
For small parts the size of a coin the equipment is not costly and can be had for a few hundred bucks.
Auto repair shops use the same technology for detecting cracks in heads and engine blocks
The equpiment your talking aboue used for fuelcell lodges and big stuctural compenents required a giant electro magnic the size of a truck

It was just a thought if it could or could not be done....
Maybe someone with the know can apply for a forensic grant. The possibilites of using it for dating things could be of help to some fields even non coin related.
Imagine getting a govt backed university grant for testing could be a neat project

just as an FYI coppertop but proving a 1916 SLQ through that type of method wouldn't have any benefit given that there are simple diagnostics to identify a 1916 SLQ.

True but the confirming diagnostics of the 1916 SLQ could be used to prove that the technique/equipment works at determining the dates on the dateless coins.

I wonder if the technology might have relevance in determining doctored mint marks? The 1916-D Merc comes to mind.