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Why is this Large cent plated?
Insider2
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I've seen several of these coins over the decades. At one time, I thought it was a mold residue left on a genuine coin used to produce a fake. The cent is a common date.
This one has a soft, lead-like coating remaining on parts of its surface. Note how it pushes up easily from the coin's surface in image #2. What was the purpose? Any ideas?
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Can't think of a COLLECTOR reason for doing it. (It doesn't look all that successful or attractive!)
But a coin being "just a coin" to most, it might have been handy as an experiment or demonstration of some industrial plating process? School chemistry or shop lab?
And, as we all know, once a coin "looks different", someone will probably hang onto it!
No idea, but interesting...
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Most of plated large cents l have seen were gold colored for jewelry purposes. Some of them had colored stoned embedded in the surface, usually on Ms. Liberty’s crown.
I suspect that in the middle of the 1800's, many people could not read English. A silver plated cent could be passed as a half dollar, or the equivalent in a foreign country.
Is that plating or liquid mercury ? (used by gold miners)
I'm not sure a few spots of solder would be considered to be an attempt at plating.
Thanks for your post.
This is a tiny portion of the coin. I used the wrong term. The THICK metal "COATING" remaining on much of its surface is not really plating in my opinion. When metal is ACTUALLY PLATED it does not "push-off" with a toothpick.
After reading your description, I'm inclined to also think that this is oxidized mercury. Now, how could mercury be deposited on a copper coin...unlimited options abound. A vile of mercury in a coin pouch broke and there you go, a simple explanation.
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@Insider2 .... Having spent many years in a plating industry, I must tell you that plating can do exactly that if plated over an unclean surface.... Have seen it many times. That being said, without examining the specific coin, I cannot say if it is the case in this instance. Cheers, RickO
Yikes, better wash my hands.
Well...the awful color reminds me of fried liver, so maybe it was plated because someone was really hungry....?
