Will we have aluminum coins soon?

GOLDSAINT

Several weeks ago I posted a thread with a couple of pictures of German inflation 50,000,000 Mark coins made of aluminum. This was a joke? The new CW is out and the front-page lead story is about the mint studying their metals market problems. Besides other things the article says that Zinc went up 55% last year, Nickel went up 65%, and copper went up 75% HUMMMMMMM

ss350camaro

Aluminum isn't cheap either.

ms70

I suppose they'll have to do something. The future of coining metals should be interesting.

MrEureka

Some of us already have aluminum coins!

hamiltonjh

Japanese 1 yen coins are aluminum.

GOLDSAINT

"Aluminum isn't cheap either. "


That's right camaro, I also posted a pottery coin, but perhaps hard plastic? The plastic's at that time were not that good compared to today. Talk about coin doctoring. Perhaps a hard clear plastic with a logo inside, it would be interesting to see the grading.

mercurynut

That is what I believe the cent will eventually become.

ss350camaro

A cool one would be a clear plastic Dollar "coin" with internally Laser Etched details. Probably to expensive to produce tho.

Has anyone seen those "Australian" Crystals at a Mall Keosk ? They're about 2" square by 3 or 4" long. I bought one about 8 months ago that has Wolves Laser etched inside. Pretty cool.

keets

it would seem that trying to approach this the way the article outlined it is rather silly. the current economic growth of the country from 100 years ago dictates that different denominations should be used and some of the smaller ones coined in reduced quantity. also, some that aren't used don't need to be made anymore and since coinage now has no real relation to each other in precious metal content, why does it all have to be the same size, as in ratio to each other??

strike cents, nickels and dimes in smaller quantities, make the workhorse quarter the same as it currently is made, get rid of the half-dollar as a puppet circulationg coin, strike dollar coins with the removal of the paper bill and realistically investigate and then mint a larger denomination coin.

a further good way to increase revenue at the mint would be to strike Mint Set only coins in all denominations with the same quality as the SMS Nickels and Half-Dollar from the 90's. i believe collectors would willingly pay a hefty premium for a limited supply of quality matte sets.

increased prices for production and metal to coin are a reality. sticking to things the way they've been for a couple of centuries for the sake of tradition is fantasy. the time has come for radical overhauls, we've known it for years.

al h.

ss350camaro

Hedger

Plastics make it possible. I say if the cent is not discontinued it will be made of plastic. Some type of tough durable polysomethingorother wil be used.

richbeat

"Will we have aluminum coins soon?"

Probably not. Aluminum is more expensive than zinc.


Aluminum .8283
Zinc .4609
Copper 1.4075


The only thing I see less expensive than zinc is lead, and I don't see that happening. Some type of hard plastic (or something similar) may be the only alternative other than discontinuing the cent.

mrearlygold

<< <i>Some of us already have aluminum coins! >>




I had a 16 piece set of them once..........


Ahhhhh where oh where can it be now.

TP

MrEureka

Ahhhhh where oh where can it be now.

Is that the set I bought about ten years ago? From a mutual friend that has had a "nice run" since?

DHeath

I've got lots of the early French aluminum coins and they're pretty interesting to hold, kind of like a 2x4 made of balsa wood. I understand aluminum is terribly abrasive to the dies and is not cheap enough. I expect unplated zinc is next. JMO

mrearlygold

<< <i>Ahhhhh where oh where can it be now.

Is that the set I bought about ten years ago? From a mutual friend that has had a "nice run" since? >>




The mutual friend in the northcountry? Yes.

I didn't have the presentation case you're showing on the uspatterns.com website.

What a whopper of a buy.

And I was too dumb to NOT photo proof it. I lament about that.

But I have my memories.............

Rgrds
TP

mrearlygold

Andy, it doesn't get "much" better than that.

TP