1978 Lincoln Cent No Copper Coating.

I found this one in bank rolls today.

Just wondering if anyone is familiar with it.

I included a comparison with it's coating.

It has the weight of a normal cent but the luster of a Nickel or Dime.

 

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The entire composition of the copper cents is, copper + other metals. I don't think it has a copper plating.

 

Yes, the pre-1982 cents were solid 95% copper alloy. The most likely explanation for your cent is here. this chemistry experiment has been in several middle and higher school chem lab manuals. The students make them and then later after the novelty wears off, spends them. It could also be plated if you notice a few spots where the electrode could be attached.The video shows how to make a gold or silver colored cent.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1262456/make_a_gold_penny/

 

Yes Desertgem, I did consider that too, I read about it many times on here.

 

I guess I could always snip it alittle to see if it's copper on the inside too?

 

WOW! I never heard of that before. I wonder if that shiny gold end result can be achieved starting with an old brown cent ?

 

The actual chem experiment says to clean the coin well before reacting

 

So in other words if you clean an old brown cent that has no luster left and then run the gold experiment, it will probably end up as a dull gold coin with no luster ?

 

Maybe I just saw the results from circulated coins, and there wasn't much luster. If the student used a coin cleaned up with the scrub pads, it had some appearance, like a whizzed coin. Usually the silver colored ones are mistaken for zinc/steel cents in appearance, so use a 1942 or a 1944 to show fellow collectors, but don't put into circulation, there are enough already showing up in "How much is this worth" section.

Jim