Strange penny found

[SFBayArea]

Was going through some cents yesterday and within the pile of non-zinc cents, I found a 1983 Cent that I thought shouldn't be there. So I put it back through the Ryedale comparitor and it still spat it out into the non-Zincoln pile. The Ryedale I have set up is too spit out everything that is a non-zincoln to one side. I usually will look through that pile.

I was all excited and thought maybe it was a copper planchet but when I weighed it, it weighed 2.7 grams. Zincolns weigh 2.5 grams and Copper ones weigh 3.0- 3.1 grams. The penny itself looks like a regular zincoln. I don't think it's copper based on the sound it made bouncing it. Very strange. Perhaps one that was struck on a thicker planchet? Does anyone know if coin comparitors only look at weight? One time I did have a teens wheat cent that will only go through to the zincoln pile and not the other one.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

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[Stang1968]

Maybe it was struck on a foreign plancet.

 

[postvmvs]

Does anyone know if coin comparitors only look at weight?

Coin comparitors work on the electrical properties of coins.

 

[SFBayArea]

Does anyone know if coin comparitors only look at weight?

Coin comparitors work on the electrical properties of coins.

So does that mean there's something off with the composition of that coin?

Strange that a 1918-S wheat cent I have, the machine kept sensing it as a Zincoln but other wheats it wouldn't have an issue.

 

[Jeffro]

Maybe the clads a little thicker on that one?

 

[thing]

if you don't mind destroying its value if it is an error, do the followings...
Buy some muratic acid from the pool store and drop the penny in. If it has zinc in it and even the slightest surface damage the penny will start bubbling. in a few days the penny will be completely hollow. If it is a pure copper cent then nothing will happen.

It is actually kind of interesting to try and if you drop a quarter in the acid with a zinc penny the quarter will turn pink.

 

[madwest]

Does anyone know if coin comparitors only look at weight?

Coin comparitors work on the electrical properties of coins.

So does that mean there's something off with the composition of that coin?

Strange that a 1918-S wheat cent I have, the machine kept sensing it as a Zincoln but other wheats it wouldn't have an issue.

The pre-1943 US cent .... The electronic signature ....

 

[SFBayArea]

Does anyone know if coin comparitors only look at weight?

Coin comparitors work on the electrical properties of coins.

So does that mean there's something off with the composition of that coin?

Strange that a 1918-S wheat cent I have, the machine kept sensing it as a Zincoln but other wheats it wouldn't have an issue.

The pre-1943 US cent had tin in it. The electronic signature of that composition might be similar enough to the electronic signature of the zinc cent that it matches for the particular sensitivity you have set. When I sort, pre-1943 cents reject against a zinc reference (2006) and also reject against a brass reference (1980).

So you have two Ryedales? It's strange that other pre-43 wheats will go into the reject bin with a zincoln reference. That 1918-S is the only one that doesn't. The 1983 is the only one that does not want to go into the zincoln bin.

 

[SFBayArea]

Maybe the clads a little thicker on that one?

It could be but the planchet does not look extremely thick and high relief like a proof. It doesn't look thin but not extremely thick either. Other than that, it looks like a regular 1983 cent. When bouncing it, it sounds a little different than a zincoln yet different than a copper too. Perhaps I should save it and send it to PCGS. Gotta save up $30 to have it graded though for mint errors.

 

[madwest]

So you have two Ryedales?

I ... after the first sort...

My sorter is ....


First sort is ...

Before the 2nd sort, ...