Ken

I came across a 1958 D silver looking wheat penny. I have checked the net for the past few days and cannot find anything about it. The edges are raised just like a nickel. Any ideas on this????

bga27

can you post pics? i'd like to see it.

Ken

Here are the pics

Ken

My file is to big. Is there an email I can send it to?

bga27

sure you can send it to- bgaoldies@yahoo.com

bga27

I have no idea on this. Its very interesting!

The_Cave_Troll

so please post the photo for him....

__________________
"From time to time the Tree of Liberty must be refreshed with the blood of Patriots and of Tyrants."
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The_Cave_Troll

I obviously haven't seen the picture yet, but it is VERY likely that this coin is plated with silver, zinc, or mercury. All 3 can be easily done and the first 2 are routinely done as high school chemistry experiments.

The first diagnostic to see if it really is plated is to weigh it. Take it to a jeweler and have it weighed to the nearest 1/100 of a gram. If it is in the 3.05-3.15 grams range it is plated. if it is more or less than that then it is possible that it is an off metal strike, in which case more testing would need to be done.

I expect the weight to confirm that it is plated, though.

__________________
"From time to time the Tree of Liberty must be refreshed with the blood of Patriots and of Tyrants."
-Thomas Jefferson

Ken

I weighed the penny at our mail room using a postage meter. I weighed a regular penny...it weighed 0.02 oz, the silver penny weighed 0.03 oz.

satootoko

I'll bet your "regular" cent (it's not a "penny") was dated 1982 or later.

The current copper-plated zinc cents have a nominal weight of 2.5g, which could show up as either 2g or 3g on a postal scale which isn't sensitive enough for coin weighing.

Wheaties, on the other hand, weighed 3.11g, and would always show up as 3g on a postal scale.

I used to post a link in this type of thread to a high school chem lab experiment in plating coins, but the site has become "unavailable". Bottom line, it is very easy to color metallic objects to look silvery, using zinc and commonly available materials. Kids do it all the time in chem lab.

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Roy

Ken

Ok...I di some comparisons on the size, meaybe this will help clarify everything for me.

I laid a regular penny on the silver penny, the regular laid inside the silver penny. the regu;ar penny fit snugly inside of the silver penny.

I then used the silver penny and laid it inside of a nickel, which fit snugly.

I laid a regular penny inside of a nickel and it is loose.

I hope you can figure this out!

satootoko

That last information makes me think your "silver" cent has been stripped of its copper plating, and hammered between pieces of hard leather, which spreads all the details equally when done properly. In other words, post-strike damage of the kind described >> here <<, just not expanded as much.

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Roy

blovelylinda

hi ken i allso have a 1958d penny(silver) ...in fact several.... they were on a bracelet that was my mother in laws let me know if you find anything out,thanks linda

Treashunt

blovelylinda:
First, welcome to the forum.
Second, it is unlikely that the original poster will even see this, it is three years old.

Third, yours, if on a bracelet, is 99.99999% chance that it is plated.

But, pictures would help.

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The Other Frank
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