1938S sinthered nickel or copper washed planchet

[jazzcoins]

 Here's a 1938S sinthered or copper washed planchet and consided  an error
This planchet was sent to the wrong basin to be cleaned it was sent to the copper cent coins

The mint will wash the planchets in a special chemical before  striking  the coin ,
If you notice on the fields of the nickel you could l  see some of the copper alloy that was transmiitted onto the surface and the color of the nickel is greyesh which shows a significant amount of copper was adhered on the fields of the coin

Jazzcoins

[CarlWohlforth]

That is interesting. Are you are into errors and technical issues with producing coins?

[19Lyds]

Hmmmm.

Sintering is where powder gets baked onto the surface of a coin in much the same manner as the method that wheels get colored for different applications. For copper nickel clad coins with a 100% copper core, copper powder is one of the by products of the tumbling that these coins go through. That powder can cling to the copper nickel surface and if the coin stays too long in the annealing ovens, it turns very dark as the powder bakes onto the surface. The coloration is usually very splotchy and unless you're not paying attention, the coins look like they are covered in a dark grease and appear abused. The bright copper core gives the sintering away every time though.

Typically, a coin which is sintered, is much darker than other coins of its type.





For nickels, a batch of sintered coins was produced in 1959 and some enterprising dealer came up with the moniker "Black Beauty".



They were black but they were also sintered coins.



Here's a 2004 Peace Medal Nickel that has a "purpleish sintering":



Other well known sintered coins are found in the Presidential Dollar Series:







As for the OP's nickel, its certainly possible it entered some type of copper wash as its difficult to tell from the photo's so its difficult to make a determination. It could very well be lightly sintered.

Would it be possible to post some larger pictures?

[jazzcoins]

Hi
19lydes

 i want your opinion on the nickel do you think it's copper washed,
Thank you forposting  all  those great slabbed sinthered coins,mine does resemble them

To answer your question yes i'm into the technical part of coin collecting   when you know how errors and  varieties are produced you have more knowledge of knowing what you really have.
I believe my coin is lightly sinthered
Notice the copper adhered to the fields
I believe my coin resembles the 1959  slabbed nickel you posted

jazzcoins Joe

[19Lyds]

Photograph it next to a regular nickel for a visual comparison like I did with the IKE. Thats a 1971-D next to the 1978 but the color of the 78 makes it look like a 1971-S.

I would strongly suggest that you send this nickel to Mike Diamond at CONECA for a specific determination and then forward it to one of the grading services for slabbing if Mike says its sintered or copper washed. That way, you'll know for sure what it is.

Truth be told, I see no copper wash or evidence of sintering.

Please report back (and to the other forums the coin has been posted on) the results.

Lee

[rockdude]

I don't believe Mike will say it's either sintered or copper wash;
"According to Mike Diamond, noted error expert and President of CONECA, (Combined Organizations of Error Collectors of America), " The "sintered planchet" and "copper wash" scenarios are examples of numismatic mythology. No one appears to understand why a copper layer forms on coins that are baked too long (or at too high a temperature) in the annealing oven." Mr. Diamond goes on to say, "Even a metallurgist I talked to can't figure it out."

[19Lyds]

I don't believe Mike will say it's either sintered or copper wash;
"According to Mike Diamond, noted error expert and President of CONECA, (Combined Organizations of Error Collectors of America), " The "sintered planchet" and "copper wash" scenarios are examples of numismatic mythology. No one appears to understand why a copper layer forms on coins that are baked too long (or at too high a temperature) in the annealing oven." Mr. Diamond goes on to say, "Even a metallurgist I talked to can't figure it out."

Now take the time to read the Feb 8th edition of Coin World's Collectors Clearinghouse.

Regardless, the coin needs to be sent to someone for evaluation and Mike Diamond is probably the most qualified.

[rockdude]

Do you have a link to that?

[19Lyds]

Do you have a link to that?

It just came out today at: http://editions.amospublishing.com/WDCN/Default.aspx?d=20100208&pagenum=3&f=0

If you are not an online subscriber, you'll have to wait for it to hit the newstands or your mailbox.

[rockdude]

I guess I'll have to wait.