Would the hobby change forever if cents and nickels were made of steel?
pcgs69
Posts: 4,324 ✭✭✭✭
Been going through a few old Coin Worlds in storage and found an article from 2008 about the possibility of changing the cent and nickel to a steel composition. Apparently nothing has come of it, at least yet.
Do you think such a change (no pun intended) is possible? If so, what would it do to the hobby? Would a large amount of iron signals plague detecting?
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I believe some type of change to metallic composition will be coming... though, IMO, it will more likely involve aluminum. Much will depend on the congressional infighting from the areas that have constituents that supply the current metals. That article is from 2008, and still nothing has been done. Either way, a cent will still be a cent, a nickel still will be five cents.... So keep searching. Cheers, RickO
I keep the copper cents and did notice there getting fewer and fewer in between
Canada uses steel coins. I believe many detectorists up there tolerate digging modern coins because denominations go up to $2. I don't think it's unusual for a Canadian detectorist to find $20 of modern coins in a day, something almost unheard of in the U.S. Personally, I'd rather find a silver dime than $20 of spendable coins. I'm in this hobby for enjoyment, not profit.
I would consider widespread distribution of steel coins to be a disaster for metal detecting in this country. That's not because I would lament the ability to dig new Zincolns and modern nickels. Instead, a scattering of steel coins near the surface will mask the older deeper coins. I'd rather cents and nickels be discontinued than be made of steel.
@Bayard1908 said "I'd rather cents and nickels be discontinued than be made of steel."... While I can understand this opinion, it would be a major public battle if they try it. I do not foresee that sort of action in the foreseeable future (Fifty years or more). JMO Cheers, RickO
I don't think I'd lose any seep if the cent went away. Canada stopped, but it didn't seem to cause any major issues - they're still functioning. The zincolns in the ground would slowly be found by detectorists, or disintegrate into nothing!
I prefer to find old silver coins or gold coins!
Steel coins hang up in the coin counting at our bank. They throw them in the waste basket
Lafayette Grading Set
@pocketpiececommems... Do you clean out the waste basket??
Cheers, RickO
When I run coins through the counting machine I most certainly do
Lafayette Grading Set