non copper indian head penny

[harpp]

has anyone seen a penny like this?

 

[texan connection]

Did you dig it? Are you sure its not copper?

 

[harpp]

yes i dug it... brought it home & washed off the dirt... thats it... i dont know what kind of metal, looks like nickel...

 

[garthbfan169]

kool looking harp!!

 

[DANGLANGLEY]

Wow, looks like someone may have silver plated it a long time ago. Nice find

DANGLANGLEY

 

[Tank69]

nice find

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

Technically, it is not copper. It is bronze. Quite a few of mine come out of the ground looking like that.

 

[Nick A]

looks silver or nickel plated to me. Someone did it for fun. At a science fair in elementary school there was a plating experiment. I took 2 rolls of wheaties and the guy plated them for me.

 

[allen]

wtg on that nice indian !

 

[spartacus53]

Nice looking coin I'll take an IH in copper, silver, black, or even green colored. I just want to find my first one

 

[Xraywolf]

It is 95% copper, 5% Tin and Zinc.

There was no variation of the metal mix used, reaction to minerals in the soil for decades likely caused its less than copper appearance.

 

[Nate in Ohio]

You can always check these things by scratching the edge of the coin and looking for the color exposed by the scratch.

 

[Slipperyjack47]

I think what ya have there is a mercury coated coin.......back in that time period it was kind of a common thing that some kid would have some mercury from a broken thermometer and proceed to rub it into a coin. With enough time doing this it would turn the coin silvery looking. Now we know the health hazards of such practices, but then it was just a kid being a kid.


Slipperyjack47

 

[ELVISFAN]

Indian Heads were Copper/nickel 1859 mid way of 1864 sometime in 1864 they changed the metal to bronze I have a 1903 that was gold plated and put in a bezel I also have several IHPS for sale...

 

[Nick A]

I think what ya have there is a mercury coated coin.......back in that time period it was kind of a common thing that some kid would have some mercury from a broken thermometer and proceed to rub it into a coin. With enough time doing this it would turn the coin silvery looking. Now we know the health hazards of such practices, but then it was just a kid being a kid.


Slipperyjack47

That's right, I forgot about mercury too. Good call.

 

[Bell-Two]

I remember using mercury on coins when I was a kid...long ago But I seem to recall after a day or two they would turn black. Anyone else remember that?