Odd 1941 Nickel

I received as change today a 1941 nickel that looks like it is made of a different alloy than a normal nickel.

After cleaning the coin with heavy duty cleaner it appeard to take off a paint like substance. While the coin is very dull in appearance, it sounds exactly the same as a current nickel when dropped on a table. I know this is not a very scientific approach but I am less likely to believe there is anything different about this coin now.


Thanks

Darryl

 

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Well #1 it is not a good idea to clean a coin---that will kill the value most of the time by 50% or more.
Post a photo of it and maybe we can help.

Speedy

 

Thank you Speedy,

Good advice about the cleaning and I will keep it mind the next time I find a coin that might be rare.

As mentioned though, after closer examination I think this is a normal coin with no special value. Whatever the nickel was covered with originally looked natural and odd which is what prompted my original question. It just looks old now, which it is. The coin still has a black dull sheen from what ever it was covered in or as a result of the chemical I used. Before I "cleaned it" it looked more like a lead penny type of alloy. You can see the result in the attachment.

Best Regards,

Darryl

 

Henning didn't make any 1941 nickels so I would say its a common '41, just discolored.

 

Looks like a typical 'metal detector' find.

 

Most detector nickels turn red.

 

Actually, it depends upon where the con was found, and the type of soil.
I have dug some pieces with color like this, but, there dosen't seem to be the porosity and 'rot' to the con that I usually find.
Still, could be a dug coin, as I said, depends upon teh soil, and how much fertilizer they used, etc.

 

Hi uss656,
What color was the nickel when you found it, I ask because if it was red paint in the forties it cost a nickel to play music in a jukebox. And the bars would paint the nickels they used so they could tell just how much money they were using in there jukebbox and how much there customers were putting in. When jukebox went to a quarter to play you could find quarters witn the same red paint. So now you know how old I am yes I am as old as red paint.

 

That clears up a mystery for me. About 6 months ago, I found a silver Washington in my register at work. And, oddly enough, it had red paint all over it. I cleaned it off with some heavy duty metal cleaner (I know, bad idea. But it was a common date circ.). Got the paint off, sure enough, though I ended up selling it along with a bunch of other junk silver for spot a few months later. Still, least that explains WHY someone would paint a quarter red...:whistle:

 

Painted nickel

Nickel had grey paint and looked just like the old lead penny’s. Because it was around the same era it made me stop and wonder.

Thanks for the history lesson, it was very interesting. :smile It's always amazing to reflect on how much history is lost to newer generations. My kids will grow up not even understanding why they made lead penny's.

Best Regards,

Darryl

 

Okay, I'll bite. I've been around for 74 years, and I not only don't understand why "they made lead pennys", but I didn't even know they had!

The only time I ever head of lead pennies was the time I saw an EBay auction for some WWII steel cents misidentified that way.

"Lead nickles", actually nickle-sized slugs, on the other hand, were common in my teenage years - they were used in juke boxes and cigarette machines, before sophisticated counterfeit detection was developed for vending machines.

 

Lead Penny

Take from the US Mint web site:

During World War II, there were Massive shortages of Copper. Copper was the main ingredient for Shell Casings, Bullets, Bombs and Guns for the war! The US Government was forced to forgo the copper they typically used for coins until they could find more elsewhere! The copper saved by making pennies out of Steel (rather than copper) was enough to meet the combined needs of "two cruisers, two destroyers, 1242 flying fortresses, 120 field guns and 120 howitzers" or enough for 1 and 1/4 million shells for Big Field Guns! WOW! What Demand!
When first introduced, these Strange cents were "shunned" by the general population ... they were often called "lead pennies", "lead cents", or "steelies". When "Brand New", the 1943 cents looked like and were often mistaken for dimes, and in 1943, making a 9 cent mistake was HUGE! When these cents corroded, they looked like slugs, hence the nick name, "lead pennies." In 1945 the mint began to Withdraw steel cents from circulation! In the next 20 years the mint retrieved almost 15% of the steel pennies that were minted and DESTROYED THEM ALL!

I asked 7 people in my office between the ages of 24 and 35 and not one of them had ever seen or heard of a steel "lead" penny.

 

Lead penny

Again, moment of reflection - You say misidentified, I say lost history. The history of the times is as valuable as the coin from the era. It's a part of what makes it worth collecting for me.

 

"I asked 7 people in my office between the ages of 24 and 35 and not one of them had ever seen or heard of a steel "lead" penny."

I am glad that they never heard of a lead cent. Actually steel composition, and 'lead cent' was a misnomer, people simply mis-identified them. (1943 only, then the cent went to a 'shell-case' composition.)
There actually never was a lead cent.

 

​

 

To quote the Guide Book (Red Book):
Cartridge cases were salvaged for coinage from 1944 through 1946. Athough the color was slightly different for uncirculated specimens, the coins proved satisfactory in every respect."
Also: "1944-1946: composition .950 copper, .050 zinc.
"1947- 1958-- composition: 3950 coper, .050 tin and zinc. "

So, maybe they were, but considering the difference, who cares.

 

I have a bunch of war-time alloy coins.


I beleive the 42-45 nickels were made of 35% silver content.

I have about 10 of the 1943 steel cents including one uncirculated one that shines like new! It's almost a bluish gray color.

I also have a few of the 1944 "shell casing" cents. Unsure if they are really shell casings, but the color is slightly different from the rest of my wheats