Weird Weights
Nscjohnson
Posts: 103 ✭✭
I started weighing my coins today and so far all is expected, except for some 1964 pennies. All weigh about 3.11 grams as expected, except for 2. One weighs 3.21, and another weighs 2.98. The pictures don't really reflect the color well. but the heavier one is much more red than the light one. What could be the reason for the different weights? 
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Comments
What is the acceptable weight per the mint? Certainly there must be some deviation from time to time. Let us know what you find out.
bob
Per Director's report for 1962, tolerance for the cent was 0.227 grams.
Weights were never checked individually unless there was a strong suspicion of a problem. Usual method was actual weight of 10,000 random pieces compared to specification.
With almost no vending machine use of the cent now, nobody cares very much.
Wear from commerce and accumulated grunge can make coins lighter or heavier...With the tolerance RogerB cites, it looks as if they could be within range. Cheers, RickO
So if the tolerance is 0.227 where does that measurement begin? I'm assuming that means 0.1135 in either direction from a middle value?
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
Correction. I used the 1943 steel cent tolerance.
Bronze cent tolerance was +/- 0.1296 gram for a nominal weight of 3.11 grams.
Source: "Regulations for the Transaction of Business at the Mints, Assay Offices, and Bullion Depositories of the United States," Treasury Department, U.S. Mint. December 1, 1947.
Counting minor wear, both within tolerance.
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No offense intended, and others might have a different opinion, but to me weighing random coins is a waste of time.
If I had dates that might conceivably have an off metal error I would weigh the heck out of them, but otherwise I would only weigh coins that looked odd (too thick, too thin).
The problem you will encounter is that weighing every coin will occasionally turn up a slightly under or overweight coin but it will virtually always be within tolerance. Even if it is slightly outside of tolerance, the general consensus here in past cases seems to be that unless it is a wrong plasnchet error, it still is only just a curiosity.
Happy hunting!
I just got the scale today and was playing around with it to make sure it was consistent and working correctly before weighing ones I really do want to check. Thanks!