How can I tell if a coin is Copper, that is not supposed to be copper?

mrpaseo

I have a Jefferson Nickel that looks to be copper... I have no way to weigh it at this time.

I tried a Magnet (Not sure what I'm supposed to find) but it did not attract.

Any advice?
Ray

lordmarcovan

Did you find it with your detector, by any chance? Lots of dug nickels will turn a reddish-brown in the ground.

Not sure what a magnet would tell you, as US nickels are nonmagnetic, as is copper. (Canadian nickels are magnetic, though). The US "nickel" five-cent piece is actually 75% copper and only 25% nickel. In some situations they will assume a coppery color if exposed to the elements or certain chemicals over a period of time.

ar18

is it the same thikness ans a nickel??? If it is I am assuming it is plated. If not you need to weigh it to see if it the same weight as a lincoln,

Jeff

mrpaseo

I'm thinking maybe enviromental damage..possibly a cleaning afterwards.

mrpaseo

It does seem to be a smidge smaller than a reg Nickle, but there is pourous surface on both Obv and Rev.

Thanks,
Ray

Conder101

Find someone with a metal detector and run some comparison tests between a known regular nickel and the suspect piece and listen for a difference in the tone (Make sure you are running the coins past the coil at the same distance.) Nickel passes lines of magnetic flux more easily than copper, so a 75% coper 25% nickel coin should distort the field of the search coil differently than a copper coin of the same size and thus results in a different tone.

mrpaseo

Condor101, thanks I'll try that, I happen to have one sitting right here

Ray

ar18

can you post a pic??

Jeff

mrpaseo

I was just working on that
Ray

airplanenut

Looks like environmental damage. If it were off metal, it wouldn't be so perfect (strike-wise)

ar18

I'm gonna have to go with enviornmental damage.

Jeff

mrpaseo

Alright, sounds the same as a reg nickel on the MD Thanks,
Ray

mrpaseo

In the dish it goes (MD find dish )

Ray