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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Coins777-IGWT, post: 354941, member: 12967&quot;]<font face="Times New Roman">1974 D unknown composition:</font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="color: Black">I have heard that during the early 1970s, the price of copper on world markets rose to a point where the metallic value of the cent was almost equal to its face value. The U.S. Mint, which produces billions of cents annually, was faced with a potentially catastrophic operating deficit, due to issues of seigniorage. As a result, the Mint tested alternate metals, including aluminum and&nbsp; bronze -clad steel. A composition of 96% aluminum (with trace elements) The composition was chosen due to its longevity on coin die use, and aluminum&#039;s high resistance to tarnishing 1,570,000 examples of the new cents were struck.. Although they were produced in 1973, they were given a 1974 date in anticipation of release into circulation in that year. for stability) was chosen. </span></font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="color: Black"><br /></span></font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="color: Black"></span></font><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="2"><span style="color: Black">The <b>1974 aluminum cent</b> was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cent_%28United_States_coin%29" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cent_%28United_States_coin%29" rel="nofollow">one-cent coin</a> proposed by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Mint" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Mint" rel="nofollow">United States Mint</a> in 1973. It was composed of an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alloy" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alloy" rel="nofollow">alloy</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium" rel="nofollow">aluminum</a> and trace metals, and intended to replace the predominantly <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper" rel="nofollow">copper</a>–<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc" rel="nofollow">zinc</a> cent due to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seigniorage" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seigniorage" rel="nofollow">rising costs of coin production</a> in the traditional <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze" rel="nofollow">bronze</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alloy" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alloy" rel="nofollow">alloy</a>. 1,570,000 were struck in anticipation of release, but none were released into circulation. Examples were passed out to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Congressman" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Congressman" rel="nofollow">US Congressmen</a> in a bid to win favor in switching to the new alloy. When the proposed aluminum cent was rejected, the Mint recalled and destroyed the examples. A few aluminum cents not returned to the Mint are believed to remain in existence. One example was donated to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithsonian_Institution" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithsonian_Institution" rel="nofollow">Smithsonian Institution</a>, while another was alleged to have been found by a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Capitol_Police" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Capitol_Police" rel="nofollow">US Capitol Police Officer</a>. Since the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Secret_Service" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Secret_Service" rel="nofollow">United States Secret Service</a> is tasked with the seizure of any specimens, the legality of the coins is in doubt.</span></font></font></p><p><b><font size="1">From Wikipedia</font></b></p><p><br /></p><p>The coin on the right is approximately 3.5g and is not magnetic so it is not <font face="Verdana"><span style="color: Black">aluminum nor is it </span></font><font face="Verdana"><span style="color: Black">clad steel. Any Ideas ?</span></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><span style="color: Black"><br /></span></font></p><p><font face="Verdana"><span style="color: Black"></span></font>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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