Has anyone ever heard of a copper nickel? I got a nickel, and I sware it's copper. Minted in 1940. Can anyone help me out?
Almost forgot, welcome! What makes you feel the 1940 is different from the norm? The composition, aside from War time nickels, was the same in 1940 as today.
Sorry about that. I really don't know much about coins. But the nickel looked exactly like a penny, and I thought I might have had something. Thanks for the reply.
No need to apologize, and do not dismiss the coin yet. It could be a mint error - a Jefferson Nickel struck on a cent planchet which would result in the copper appearance. Do you have a photo?
Based on the pic it appears to be the usual size - none of the legends look like they are cut off. Is it the same size as an ordinary nickel ? if so - then I would guess that it is an ordinary nickel that has been discolored by something,
The entire designs seem to be there, which argues against a cent planchet being involved. If the reverse is really more coppery in color than the obverse (the way my amateurish photo-edititing makes it appear) my question would be whether it is normal thickness. A thin coin could have come from the end of a coil from which planchets were punched, with an excess of copper in the alloy. (Just a WAG on my part. )
Looks to me as if it may have been dug out of the ground. Some of the nickels that I have found metal detecting have taken on that appearance. Second guess would be that it has passed through someone's gastrointestinal tract!
Looks to me like environmental factors have resulted in the color, but a better picture would be required to say for certain. Or, you could also weigh the coin. It should come in at 5 grams or very close to it. It should only be about 3.1 grams if it was struck on a cent planchet.
Off-color Jefferson nickels are not uncommon, and are known in hues ranging from smokey blue through deep purple to black. The natural discoloration is caused by either an incorrect alloy mix containing significantly too much copper, or an improper anealing process. Some collectors are attracted to them, in the same way as some prefer toned coins, and will pay a small premium for them. I can't say for sure this is the case with the coin in question, but it is a known fact that naturally dark Jeffersons are well documented.
I have to agree with ndgoflo. This coin looks like it has spent some time in the ground. I've dug many nickels that have turned dark red or brown.
One issue that some people seem to be overlooking is that it could be struck from a copper planchet cut for nickel size. In other words, not a cent planchet, but a nickel-sized planchet cut from cent metal strip. This would be HIGHLY unlikely,and I am not sure if such a thing ever existed, but for example, I have a quarter cut from dime strip. The diameter is OK, but the thickness is off. As for this nickel, the webcam photos gave me the same idea - corrosion or some other reaction has affected the color.
