Interesting stuff... this copper... Bizarre golden cent

DanC

So - I went out and bought the fourth edition of the "cherrypicker's guide" today.

What an interesting world copper is!

My mother-in-law gave me about a 40-pound jar of cents. I've spent the day sorting and going through them.
Haven't found any doubled die varieties, or anything really earth-shattering yet - but it's been fun.

I did come across a really wild golden lincoln cent. I'll post a pic as soon as I get around to hauling out the camera and getting it under it. Very interesting color.

This coin stuff is kinda interesting. I think I just found out there's something more than JFK's out there.

DanC

What do you guys make of this? I've never seen anything like it.

mbbiker

i have one like that i made it in school a few years ago, if you put a special chemical on it it will turn golden, i also have one with a silver color.

DanC

I suppose someone could have done something to it - but it was just in a hoard of lincoln cents...

It certainly stood out in the crowd!

edit:
In retrospect... I used to mess around with my chemistry set when I was about 8. I discovered nickel electroplating - and made some pretty interesting looking cents with that. But there was always some evidence of where the electrode was attached. This one is very even. Obviously it's not any sort of 'treasure' with regard to grade - but it certainly caught my eye.

mbbiker

I'm not positive that is what happened with this coin it was just a guess, lets wait and see what the experts have to say about it.

DanC

just a bump - because I was really hoping somebody had seen one before.

Russ

I think it's the very rare cent struck on a $5 Gold Eagle planchet. Retirement time!

Russ, NCNE

kranky

There are some so-called "brass plated" Zincolns known for different years since they changed to the zinc planchets in 1982. Sometimes some planchets will get stuck in the tanks where they apply the copper plating to the zinc planchets. They begin to dissolve and the planchets end up plated with a mixture of copper AND zinc - which is brass. The amount of "yellow" color depends on the amount of zinc in the plating solution. The more zinc, the more yellow they are.

I don't know if that's what happened to yours, Dan, but it's possible.

mdwoods

Cool info Kranky. That's the kind of neat stuff that I probably would never learn if not for the forums. Thanks. mdwoods

mbbiker

Kranky interesting theroy never thought of that.

DanC

Thanks Kranky

One thing I found very interesting about this coin is that the raised area of the rim are distinctly copper-red - yet the outside of the rim itself is the same gold color.

I suppose it's probably just an oddity, but I thought it was kind-of cool.

Mrpawn

Dan C

Take your current Lincolns and put them on top of a wood stove for various lengths of time and you will not only see golden cents but several other varied colors and combos of colors. Fun to spend them and watch the clerks hesitate then look closely and then set them aside.

Don't leave them on too long or they burn and just look like welding slag. Hope this helps