Copper plated 43 cent.

Whoever did this one did a nice job.

 

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Did you scrape a bit of the edge to check it?

Chris

 

is that Barrack obama?

 

Why would you scrape, running that one-in-several-million chance of damaging a valuable find, when you could just use a magnet?

 

It's the pessimist in me!

Chris

 

Well, I won't be setting up that regularly scheduled delivery for you to authenticate all of my copper 1943 cents, then.

 

Or, they might have changed the 4 from some other number. It looks a bit weak.

 

Very common on steel cents to have weak digits.

 

But why go through the trouble of copper plating a weak digit steel cent? You would think they would pick a better specimen if they were trying to assure people it was genuine.

 

Well, you'd better check with the USPS right away because I haven't received any deliveries from you.

Chris

 

I seem to vaguely remember (from the early 60's) that metal items could be copper plated by putting them in a copper sulfate solution (CuSO4).
Is that correct?

 

Yeah, as long as it's a more active metal than copper. Steel is, and zinc most definitely is. The results aren't very good, though; instead of making a smooth, dense, compact layer, it tends to be loose and furry.

Similarly, if you dip copper in silver nitrate solution, the copper "displaces" silver, meaning silver replaces some of the copper. Hang a copper wire in the solution, and it'll turn into a tiny silver Christmas tree, with silver branches growing out from the wire.

 

Thanks for confirming that. They'll probably be contacting you about the insurance claims.

 

-jeffB

"Hang a copper wire in the solution, and it'll turn into a tiny silver Christmas tree, with silver branches growing out from the wire."

It may be hard to find lights for it. :>)

 

No need to worry. I've already referred it to the US Attorney's mail fraud division.

Chris

 

Thanks for the post. Someday perhaps Whitman will include a hole for a 1943 copper plated steel cent.

 

you can see where they held the coin during the electroplating process. 1:30 and 6:30 on the reverse.

 

Nope the ears aren't big enough

 

Advertisement out of a coin magazine in the 1960s. You provided the cent and paid for the service, so any responsibility was on you . One reason there are so many around.

 

Thanks. That's really cool.