Question Concerning a Lincoln cent on a foreign gold planchet

I have found out that in 1950, the US minted for Syria; a matter of fact, they minted a coin struck in .900 fine gold. Now, this coin is 19mm (the same as a Lincoln)and only a quarter of a gram more in weight than an ordinary Lincoln cent. 1/2 pound. My question is, could it be possible for a 1950-51 Lincoln to be struck on a 1/2 pound Syrian gold planchet? Also, one reason I ask is that I have a solid gold 1951 Lincoln Wheat cent that I just uncovered these past few days. I know this sounds too rare but I did find it. I wrote a letter today to ANACS and one to NGC yesterday. Here are pics of the potential gold coin my Lincoln was struck on and my 1951 lincoln.

 

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For the record, not plated but solid.

 

Imo your coin is a science experiment, a cent coated in zinc and then turned 'gold' or coated with yellow brass via application of heat. That being said anything is possible and what you theorize could have occurred but highly unlikely.

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

Tested and approved solid GOLD

 

Tested by who? Approved by who?
I believe this was the Philly mint, let's see the other side of your coin.
Anything is possible, but they probably had much stricter controls with gold planchets. They did have some quality control and a gold cent would have stuck out like a sore thumb at many different points before this coin made it to circulation.
Right now this article says there are no examples of your coin.
if your coin is real, it would be the 1st one.
https://minterrornews.com/news-5-13-03-foreigners_in_the_mint.html

 

The toning looks odd. Too much color. Better images of both sides would be cool.

 

The specific gravity of copper is about 8.8 and gold is 19.2, twice as heavy. SO your coin either has to be half the size of a normal cent or weigh more than twice as much. The plating in post #3 is most likely. Jim

 

What does the "gold" cent weigh?

According to Numista there are two 1950 Syrian gold coins (and a pattern), one weighs 3.38g the other 6.76g.

The US Copper cent is 3.11g, with a gold plating adding a trivial amount.

 

If I read the other posts correctly, if this is the size of a US cent, it would have to weigh 6.76.
But, as you pointed out the Syrian 1950 gold half pound weighs 3.3793g, which would make the cent half of it's normal size (which it isn't because we see the full detail on the reverse.)
The plating argument gets stronger.

 

More questions than answers, what is the weight? Can you post a picture of the obverse? How was the composition tested? With more info someone should be able to come up with a definitive answer.

 

And of course while the diameter may be similar the planchet would be much thinner and unlikely to strike up well.

My 2 cents are on plating but we need OP to respond.

 

@desertgem and @Michael K have given you the answer. For it to be gold, it would have to weigh significantly more than a normal cent, or be much thinner (which isn't the case based on your pics.

I am guessing you had someone test the composition with a handheld XRF that many precious metal buyers use. I do not doubt that you could get a reading that says it's gold. HOWEVER, you need to understand that this test only measures the composition of the surface and doesn't penetrate very deep. So you've effectively determined that the surface of your coin is gold.

Bottom line, it's plated

 

It's plated, not gold in any universe.

It doesn't even look close to any
gold coin of the world.

Sorry, but it's not what you think it is.

Weigh the coin, and I assure you it
will weigh between 3.1 and 3.25 grams
at the most, or 48 to 49.50 grains, at
the most.

 

Now darn it. You went and burst his bubble.

After all, It was "approved" solid gold by his cousin Bernie.

 

Boy, that finger’s going to leave a mark.

 

As I have written in my upcoming book "Forgotten Coins" there are probably two major ways to gold plate a cent. The cent actually being almost pure copper provides a pretty good host as both silver and gold bind very well to copper. In ths first process gold mercuric amalgamation. If you do a surface XRF test see if Hg is picked up - probably 0.1-2.0% or something in this range. If present = plated. However based on the photo its seems its a fine application or thin gold layer if indeed plated so gold electrodeposition with cyanide in a battery type anode/cathode process. Check the edges with a loop and see if copper (color) is present beneath the gold plating or the edges 360* around for a possible break in the plating. Note above the specific gravity post and check the weight and see what other gold coins were made between 1950-1955. Send to PCGS or NGC if you believe its solid gold based on XRF and its weight being twice the mint reported weight of a copper wheat. Good luck ... but IMO unlikely.

John Lorenzo
Numismatist
United States

 

John, or he can weigh the coin
at his local coin store, or jewelry store,
and compare the weight of his coin
to what I mentioned above.

 

But then you don't get to play with all those fancy gizmos.

 

Yep, you're right, but sometimes the
simplest thing to do is the fastest,
most efficient, least costly, and a
good determinate of what the composition
is - weigh the darn thing !

If it's gold, it won't weigh anywhere,
repeat anywhere, near the weight of
a normal copper cent.

This coin will.