a 1957 steel penny?

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by Jasonphi, Mar 28, 2015.

  1. Jasonphi

    Jasonphi New Member

    D photo 1.JPG photo 2.JPG photo 3.JPG idnt think this was possible. It seems to be steel though.
     
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  3. coop

    coop Senior Member

    You can see the copper through the coating on the reverse. Try a 1943 steel cent and compare the strength of attraction on your coin. Big difference.
     
  4. spirityoda

    spirityoda Coin Junky

    put a magnet to it.
     
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  5. Treashunt

    Treashunt The Other Frank

    post mint damage
     
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  6. paddyman98

    paddyman98 I'm a professional expert in specializing! Supporter

    Plated. If it sticks to a magnet it's steel. If it does not.. It's not steel. Simple test.
     
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  7. cpm9ball

    cpm9ball CANNOT RE-MEMBER

    If you can see all that copper, it must not be steel.

    Chris
     
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  8. -jeffB

    -jeffB Greshams LEO Supporter

    In the older, innocent days, a favorite "science experiment" was to rub a shiny copper cent with mercury, turning it "silver" as the mercury combined (amalgamated) with the coin's surface.

    There are other ways to turn a penny "silver", but that was the easiest one.

    (No need to go into a mercury-fueled panic, BTW; such coins didn't pick up that much mercury, and it sticks pretty tightly. The coin won't kill your family.)

    I just went searching for a YouTube video of this process, but no luck -- the best I found was someone doing it with mercuric nitrate, which is a lot nastier than mercury metal. Maybe I should do one myself, for old times' sake. Let me just carefully crack open this old mercury switch, and... oops, BRB...
     
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  9. coinman1234

    coinman1234 Not a Well-Known Member

    Looks like it could be mercury, maybe just other metal plating though.

     
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  10. Conder101

    Conder101 Numismatist

    If it JUMPS to the magnet it's steel, if it just sticks to the magnet (and it is a fairly strong magnet) it is most likely a heavy nickel plating.
     
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  11. Kentucky

    Kentucky Supporter! Supporter

    So will a nickel stick to a magnet?
     
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  12. -jeffB

    -jeffB Greshams LEO Supporter

    Not a US nickel. They're actually made from cupronickel, 75% copper and 25% nickel, and that alloy isn't magnetic. Some Canadian nickels (and other coins) were made from more pure nickel, and did stick to a magnet.

    Pure nickel plating will stick to a magnet, but since there isn't very much of it on the coin, there won't be a lot of force.
     
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  13. Jasonphi

    Jasonphi New Member

    I cant find the coin. lol Im sorting through 6600 and I was reorganizing.... Its gotta be one of them. Let you know when I find it. For some reason all my error coins got mixed back in somewhere
     
  14. BadThad

    BadThad Calibrated for Lincolns

  15. Kentucky

    Kentucky Supporter! Supporter

    hair2.png
     
  16. RDT

    RDT New Member

    I have a 1957 Philadelphia minted penny that looks silver, might be one of those mercuried pennies. I picked it up with a magnet, but am unsure that the content is steel.
     
  17. paddyman98

    paddyman98 I'm a professional expert in specializing! Supporter

    You need to create your own unique thread with pictures.
    Don't ask if it has any value.
     
  18. SILVER FORKS

    SILVER FORKS New Member

    My steel 1957 D penny does stick to a magnet. So is it worth much or not.
     
  19. -jeffB

    -jeffB Greshams LEO Supporter

    Nope. Just a coin that somebody messed with after it left the Mint.

    Welcome to CoinTalk!
     
  20. paddyman98

    paddyman98 I'm a professional expert in specializing! Supporter

    Did you even read any of the responses on this thread? It is not steel. Most likely plated.
    Worth? 1 Cent
     
  21. Conder101

    Conder101 Numismatist

    It appears he didn't read the post of mine that he responded to.
     
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