Old Gold Question

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by UnCommonCents, Mar 20, 2015.

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  1. UnCommonCents

    UnCommonCents Variety Collector

    No..Not the cigarettes.

    Been watching the western series Dead Wood lately, which is quite good, but anyways, in the intro it shows a man biting an old coin. Is this to check that it's real? Has anyone ever bought/seen an old gold coin with distinct tooth marks in it?
     
    UnCommonCents, Mar 20, 2015
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  3. coinman1234

    coinman1234 Not a Well-Known Member

    I personally have never seen one. I think that you are right when you said that it was to check if it was real. As you may know, gold is soft so you will be able to leave bite marks on it if you bite it.
     
    coinman1234, Mar 20, 2015
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  4. Treashunt

    Treashunt The Other Frank

    In the old days they did that, but all that it really proved was that it could crack a tooth.
     
    Treashunt, Mar 20, 2015
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  5. rickmp

    rickmp Frequently flatulent.

    It was done because gold is very delicious and nutritious and Beer Nuts hadn't been invented yet. :rolleyes:
     
    rickmp, Mar 20, 2015
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  6. green18

    green18 Unknown member Sweet on Commemorative Coins Supporter

    And it helps you grow strong!
     
    green18, Mar 20, 2015
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  7. Bryant M

    Bryant M Active Member

    They would bite it to see if there teeth put dents in it or not. If they didn't, then the coin is made of something harder than gold and is fake. If it is just a gold layer over something soft like lead, you will bite through the gold and see the lead
     
    Bryant M, Mar 20, 2015
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  8. UnCommonCents

    UnCommonCents Variety Collector

    does drinking Goldschläger count?
     
    UnCommonCents, Mar 20, 2015
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  9. UnCommonCents

    UnCommonCents Variety Collector

    I get that. My question still remains; Who has gold with teeth marks in it?????
     
    UnCommonCents, Mar 20, 2015
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  10. coinman1234

    coinman1234 Not a Well-Known Member

    I don't own any gold coins except for an 1870 1/4 dollar Cal. coin.

    Most gold medalists will bite down on their metal after winning it as tradition.
    [​IMG]
     
    coinman1234, Mar 20, 2015
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  11. UnCommonCents

    UnCommonCents Variety Collector

    Im gonna bite a chunk out of my first gold piece!..... and eat it
     
    UnCommonCents, Mar 20, 2015
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  12. cpm9ball

    cpm9ball CANNOT RE-MEMBER

    I've always been under the impression that biting on a coin to make sure it was gold was something dreamed up by the Hollywood studios.

    Chris
     
    cpm9ball, Mar 20, 2015
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  13. coinman1234

    coinman1234 Not a Well-Known Member

    I think that may be the truth. Eventually accepted over the years
     
    coinman1234, Mar 20, 2015
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  14. harris498

    harris498 Accumulator

    I've actually tried biting some of my refined gold, which assays at about 989 fine. I could not leave a mark, and biting any harder I risked chipping or breaking a tooth.
     
    harris498, Mar 20, 2015
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  15. coinman1234

    coinman1234 Not a Well-Known Member

    I tried on an earring I found metal detecting, I was terrified I would break a tooth so I stopped.
     
    coinman1234, Mar 20, 2015
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  16. Amos 811

    Amos 811 DisMember

    Try deer nuts, they are much cheaper. They are under a buck.
     
    Amos 811, Mar 20, 2015
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  17. rickmp

    rickmp Frequently flatulent.

    rim-shot.jpg
     
    rickmp, Mar 20, 2015
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  18. McBlzr

    McBlzr Sr Professional Collector

    What happens if you bite a gold coin with gold teeth ?????

    Cat-with-Gold-Teeth-73457.jpg
     
    McBlzr, Mar 21, 2015
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  19. OldGoldGuy

    OldGoldGuy Members Only Jacket

    I have no idea. But as my name implies, I also have no teeth...
     
    OldGoldGuy, Mar 21, 2015
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  20. Conder101

    Conder101 Numismatist

    If you bite hard enough (and don't break your tooth) it IS possible to put a mark on a gold coin (I've done it). What is much MORE likely is they are checking to make sure it is not a gold plated LEAD coin which would take a tooth mark MUCH more easily. So it you bit a gold coin and it was EASY to put a tooth mark in it, it was a fake.
     
    Conder101, Mar 21, 2015
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  21. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    Precisely, and the continuation of that is - if you did not put teeth marks into the coin, it was genuine. Yet most think the exact opposite and are completely unaware of the truth. Of course they think this because everybody says gold is soft. And yeah, gold is soft, compared to most other metals. But that is the key - most other metals.

    In point of fact gold is pretty durable, it wears well, last a long time, it can easily be bent, shaped, or hammered into all sorts of designs, and to a degree it is impervious to the effects of nature. All of these qualities make it ideal for jewelry and adornment. Short and sweet, gold is not near as "soft" as most folks seem to think it is.

    I've used these pictures to illustrate several other things, but they can also be used to show just how durable gold really is.

    AGE.jpg AGE rev.jpg


    That coin is made of the same alloy that almost all US gold coins were made of. And yeah, it shows wear. But it took 7 years of being carried around in my pocket with a pocket knife and at least 4 quarters, (and at times various other change), every day 7 days a week for it to attain that much wear. That coin was rubbed, handled, treated the same as any other coin would be, it was even "flipped" and allowed to hit the floor far more times than I can count.

    And yet look at it. There are no dings, dents, scratches, gouges, or anything other than normal wear. And it is also a good illustration of what happens to the weight of a coin that undergoes normal wear. Metal is not worn away and off the coin as a lot think it is. That coin, in that condition, only lost three thousandths of a gram (0.003) of weight after all that wear. In other words, it weighed the same as it did the day it was minted. The point being, coins do not lose weight from wear, not until the wear is very advanced.

    Gold is tough, even in its pure form. But is made even tougher and harder by adding small amounts of copper to it. What you see above is shows just how tough it actually is. And no, that's not the only example either. That coin had several predecessors, other AGE's that were carried around in my pocket for quite a few years before I decided to finally spend them and get another. And the results were always the same.
     
    GDJMSP, Mar 21, 2015
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