Has anyone ever come across a copper quarter?

johngerman

A friend of mine at work brought me this coin to look at. He knows I am a coin nerd so he wanted to know if he had anything valuable. I said I would research and let him know what I find out. I placed it on an electronic scale and it read 5.55 grams. I told him I'm not sure if the nickel was washed off somehow or what. I cannot think of anything copper that would have that large of a planchet?

Although, I have never encounted a clad with the nickel removed before. Can this be done naturally over time, or a chem bath that might have done this? Thought I would get your opinions. It was dated 1983 and fairly circulated.

Thanks for any help on this issue.

BECOKA

I can't remember what it's called but there is something called electro plating. I bet someone did this to the quarter and then put it in circulation. If you do a search on You tube there are several videos of people doing this.

johngerman

But wouldn't that increase the weight??? I don't understand the electroplating process that well, so I don't know.

Dockwalliper

Acid bath?

Ed62

PipestonePete

Ed....that is NICE!!

droopyd

<< <i>Has anyone ever come across a copper quarter? >>



We come across them every day -- clad quarters are 91.67% copper/8.33% nickel (outer layers are 75% copper/25% nickel; core is 100% copper).

johngerman

No kidding. Nice coin Ed!


Who said that? Who are you? What do you want?

johngerman

Let me specify, this quater shows no color other than reddish brown. Not a sliver of nickel to be found.

commoncents05

This is as close as I can come.



-Paul

astrorat

Hi Jonathan-

Since the coin is less than normal weight, you have a few possibilities...

1. The coin was struck on the wrong US planchet, such as a nickel (5.0 grams) or cent (3.1 or 2.5 grams), or a wrong planchet intended for a world coin (various weights). Of course, the cent planchets are not possible since the coin weighs 5.55 grams. For it to be on a nickel planchet AND weigh 5.55 grams it would have to have been struck on a planchet with a large deposit of copper from an improper wash (I am not sure if a heavy copper wash would add 0.55 grams to the total weight.

2. The coin was struck on a planchet after the clad layers had delaminated (i.e. a "missing clad layers" error). While reasonably common (as far as errors go) for a clad coin to be struck on a planchet without one of the clad layers, a coin with both clad layers is not very common. The strike would look quite weak as the thickness of the planchet is reduced without the outer clad layers. However, since a normal planchet weighs 5.7 grams, the loss of only 0.15 grams from missing two clad layers is likely not possible.

3. The coin was altered after it left the mint such as through an acid bath to dissolve the outer layers. However, the image would likely be quite "fuzzy" and would not appear normal (you did not mention the characteristics of the "strike" remaining on the coin). Although, I would expect the weight to be reduced a bit more than by only 0.15 grams.

4. The coin is worn enough to reduce its weight to around 5.55 grams and somebody painted it or colored it in some way.

5. Something weird happened to the coin that escapes me at the moment.

I am thinking #4 sounds the most probable.

Lane

johngerman

Thanks everyone, especially Lane. I will let him know and maybe take a closer look to see if there is some colorization done to it.
Thanks again.