Copper nickel cents - why no color designations?

dan1ecu

Why don't we see Copper nickel cents designated as RD, RB, or BN? They do tone similarly to bronze cents, don't they? Do you think there's any need for the color designation on Copper nickel cents?

Dan

kieferscoins

There is no need for the designation because they aren't RD or even RB.

Cameron Kiefer

coinguy1

Dan, while copper-nickel coinage can be seen with color variances, it typically does not display the wide range of mellowing/change in color that bronze coinage does. In other words, the usual tan (copper-nickel) color does not turn dark/brown like "RD" bronze color does.

That said, here is an example of how pretty copper-nickel coins can be on (rare) occasions - I saw this one yesterday and it's a beauty.

dan1ecu

Nice coin, Mark!

Dan

shylock

The nickel in the alloy stabilizes the copper enough to stave off the extreme type of mellowing you see on bronze coins. Most of the true "brown" you see in copper-nickel is veins of copper woodgrain that didn't mix completely. You do see some that are darker than others but they resemble the type of toning you'd find in nickel more than bronze. They're also the only type of cents that are stable enough to be good candidates for NCS conservation.

shylock

Mark - I thought of that Goldberg coin when I read this post too!

shylock

The type of woodgrained copper-nickel that looks RB.


Stewart Blay considers this the most beautiful mint state CN IH he's ever seen (Mark's example was a proof), and who are we to disagree? Very tough to image due to a copper-nickel mix that's not quite complete, giving it a variegated metal structure that toned in a very unique way. This one could be called RB with a *star*, in person it's dazzling.

coinguy1

Excellent examples, Paul- thanks. I like that 1862 a little bit!