After Work Hunt... A Few Keepers And A Question About A Crusty Coin

[Sooper Dave]

Went out for a short hunt after work yesterday with my little girl. The first signal we got was a deep nickel that came out like the filling in an Oreo Cookie. We got to guess what it was before opening the clods. Turned out to be a dateless Buffalo. Found a few wheats, clad and then a nice Merc after that. The last coin we found came in like it was going to be an Indian, but turned out to be a very crusty wheatie. My question is why does this happen to a one coin and not others in the same yard? And what exactly is this mineral growth? Is it just from a heavy minerals in that part of the soil that attaches to the copper? Thanks for the help, David

 

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[Erik in NJ]

Hi Dave, That Merc (or better yet Winged Liberty) is in nice shape. The mystery with your wheat cent is that it appears that it had been resting near or against a fragment of iron for a long time in the ground. I can see what appears to be the tell-tale signs of rusted iron on the back of the coin.

 

[vpnavy]

Nice finds but even better you did it with your daughter Sooper Dave. Nuttn' like building memories...

 

[Sooper Dave]

Hi Dave, That Merc (or better yet Winged Liberty) is in nice shape. The mystery with your wheat cent is that it appears that it had been resting near or against a fragment of iron for a long time in the ground. I can see what appears to be the tell-tale signs of rusted iron on the back of the coin.

Could be. I thought iron at first, but both sides are covered in a "concrete" like crust. Maybe it's from a long time of being in the ground with iron.

 

[Erik in NJ]

The iron nail or fragment may have been disintegrating long before the copper cent was dropped over it and this caused the matrix to form on both sides of the coin. From what I know strange things can happen to one or both metals when some metals are in contact for extended periods of time (looks what happens to the copper coated zinc cents). Maybe a materials guy can give us a bit more color on this.