Electrolisis- is awesome for cleaning "

[JimmyCT]

IN GOD WE TRUST - yep you got urself a coin there Mark. It can't be a 2 cent piece as look how "IN GOD WE TRUST" is displayed on the 2 center.

 

[MarkCZ]

Well I had noticed the same thing when I got my coin book out a little bit ago.
Okay, more of the coin story.
When I found it it was larger in diameter than a standard US sent. I could tell it was either worn or corroded to appear thinner than a US cent as well, but when I weighed it it weighed more than even a perfect condition cent. So, going on that the closes I find in the US coin book would have been a Two Cent piece.

Now after a couple of days of juicing it and weighing it a few minutes ago its now under weight as compared to a standard US cent.

So, I'm thinking that this coin could be a older Lincoln cent maybe hammered (flattened) out, that would explain it being so thin with an oversized diameter. It wouldn't take to many details to put the placing of the marks to match it to some type of coin.

Here is some pictures of the same side of the coin with the logo at the top, first picture is of the whole coin, then the others are close ups of sections of the coins starting at about the 1:00 and moving around the coin clockwise.

Mark

 

[JimmyCT]

Thanks for the photos. Now I can see that it is a Lincoln. lol yep poor Lincoln did get splattered on this coin. His head kinda got push towards the "IN GOD WE TRUST"



Hope it wasn't a key date

 

[MarkCZ]

Hey, as a group were doing pretty good on analyzing this coin, so its snowing and I've had this coin on my mind for over six months, anybody up to trying for a date!
with "IN GOD WE TRUST" in proper orientation (the top) then I could mark the date location. So, what can you get from it?

Another thing about this coin is the location I found it in, it was a long time ago park picnic area and the area is lined with stone on ground fire pits, so its possible that this coin could have been fired!

Most of the coins from this area where wheat back era coins. That's not to say this isn't a memorial, but now that I've got more of an idea what I'm looking for maybe I can find some signs of wheat ears or a building on the reverse.

Mark

 

[WV62]

I was thinking you said the coin diameter was a little larger than a regular penny and that was why you were thinking it may be a 2 cent coin. If you could get a measurement or side by side picture it may give another clue.

Brother Ron in WV

 

[MarkCZ]

I was thinking you said the coin diameter was a little larger than a regular penny and that was why you were thinking it may be a 2 cent coin. If you could get a measurement or side by side picture it may give another clue.

Brother Ron in WV

It is larger in diameter, based on what we've found so far and now the reduced weight I'm going with what I had posted above.

When I found it it was larger in diameter than a standard US sent. I could tell it was either worn or corroded to appear thinner than a US cent as well, but when I weighed it it weighed more than even a perfect condition cent. So, going on that the closes I US coin I can find would have been a Two Cent piece.
So, I'm thinking that this coin could be a older Lincoln cent maybe hammered (flattened) out, that would explain it being so thin with an oversized diameter.

I haven't found anything on the back of the coin to define it being a wheat cent or a memorial, but it being copper, the position of the "We" in the "IN GOD WE TRUST" and the date location with some details, pretty much closes the case on it being a two cent piece. The thing is, up until the electrolysis cleaning I couldn't find a single marking on this coin and the amount of debris that came off this coin was amazing, it actually changed the weight of it.
Just for fun here is some close ups of the back side. They are in order of,
The whole coin,
Top half, and
Bottom half.


Thanks everybody,
Mark

 

[JimmyCT]

Mark,

This looks like the "P" in E "P"LURIBUS UNUM at the top of the coin. I don't know what I was reading or my mind playing tricks on me as the date would not be in that location but being in squished condition who knows. In any case that is one toasted coin. I propose a toast as well - to a job well done in deciphering

 

[knack4iron]

Its not a hard process. Its not rocket science and its amazing how people make it sound difficult.Been doing it to iron for 30 years. A simple 6v-12v car battery charger from any garage sale and a bucket and any simple strip of metal to use as a sacrifical annode and some salt in the water and thats it. You can even do it with a coffee can and a 12v adapter from a junked piece of eletronics. Just keep it simple.

 

[MarkCZ]

Its not a hard process. Its not rocket science and its amazing how people make it sound difficult.Been doing it to iron for 30 years. A simple 6v-12v car battery charger from any garage sale and a bucket and any simple strip of metal to use as a sacrifical annode and some salt in the water and thats it. You can even do it with a coffee can and a 12v adapter from a junked piece of eletronics. Just keep it simple.

I just used a rechargeable 9 volt battery and two common electronic test leads, a plastic tub, and a dash of baking soda, a real stainless steel spoon.

Mark.

 

[MarkCZ]

Mark,

This looks like the "P" in E "P"LURIBUS UNUM at the top of the coin. I don't know what I was reading or my mind playing tricks on me as the date would not be in that location but being in squished condition who knows. In any case that is one toasted coin. I propose a toast as well - to a job well done in deciphering

Well what helped me to find the date was when we found the "IN GOD WE TRUST" and I had that at the top then I just look down the right side of the coin below the word trust and that's when I picked up on some numbers, being its a Lincoln cent then we know what the first two numbers are "19" so its 19XX at this point, so that just leaves us with two numbers to figure out the date, my red arrows are pointing at three numbers, and that confirms the location for the date on a Lincoln cent.

And for the reverse side I'm thinking the marked area and the red arrow may point to the base of the wheat ear on the lower right side of the coin, which puts the possible "P" high and to the left, or to say in the correct location.

Mark

 

[Illinoismic]

If it's for your collection then the cleaning is ok I guess. But if you plan on selling at auction or to serious high dollar coin collector then you have to send the coin off to be graded. If I coin has been cleaned by toothbrush or electrolysis then they will be returned with no graded and labeled "cleaned". It's all your coins and you do what you wish with them. I have just ran into the issue before so figured I would share my experience

 

[MarkCZ]

If it's for your collection then the cleaning is ok I guess. But if you plan on selling at auction or to serious high dollar coin collector then you have to send the coin off to be graded. If I coin has been cleaned by toothbrush or electrolysis then they will be returned with no graded and labeled "cleaned". It's all your coins and you do what you wish with them. I have just ran into the issue before so figured I would share my experience

Were good!
Not many people would go through the process of having a coin graded unless its known to be a key date or a very rare coin, for all intent purpose here were talking fairly common coins.

Mark

 

[kaolinwasher]

looks like a wheat cent for sure . some more electrolysis projects working good with baking soda 9V- 1 amp

 

[MarkCZ]

With a multiple power source I can see how a person could do as many items as they want at one time, the spoons are not touching, nor is the coins and each has its own power supply.

Two in the juicer. These are just test samples, a corroded clad dime and an older common date Wheat cent.
And one close up in action.

Mark

 

[upnorth]

Been doing this for years. Just remember to use an old junk brass spoon or whatever when zapping a copper coin, or you can get silver coloured mottling if using say a big nail or whatever. Want to do this for cheap ? Go to a salvation army thrift store and buy a bag with 2-3 cell phone chargers or some type of device charger, the square black ones. Cut the bit off that goes into the phone. Split the wires. Put water and baking soda in an old plastic ice cream pale. Strip the ends off the wires, separate them and hang them both in the water. Step away from the pail and plug the charger into the wall. You will see one wire fizzing. Step away, unplug the charger, Twist the fizzing wire around whatever you want cleaned. The other wire gets an old spoon, Nail, whatever. The coin wire gets submerged. The spoon goes half way into the water. Bend it so it hangs by itself. The spoon or whatever will eventually be eaten away. These are the basics and you can do electrolysis for next to no cost, other than the electricity. Look this stuff up, research, and you will understand the process better. It is simple and requires very little materials. Or you can make something really professional, whatever floats yer boat. JUST BE CAREFUL, YOU HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ELECTROCUTE YOURSELF OR OTHERS. I'm no genius and I've been doing it for years, just be extra careful. Oh ya, Unplug and take the crusty copper coin out about every 20-30 minutes and rotate it in the wire or it can zap a clean band across the coin and may remove patina etc. Give it short shots with rotation until you get a feel for the timing. On the other hand I put a large cast iron hide scraper from a fur trade site in to zap over night. You figure it out as you go. If the coin is a crusty sweety that you are afraid to mess up, toss it into olive oil for the winter. It really does work over time. Electrolysis can cut those months into hours, but be careful, with the object, and your own safety.