Coinage metals

[dtilque]

Recently, I dug out an old (late 60s) coin collector book and a few questions about the metals used in coins occured to me.

Various coins, including the US and Canadian 1 cent and the British penny, are made of bronze. Now the classic bronze is an alloy of copper and tin but various other copper alloys are also sometimes called bronze. Were these coins made with tin or some other metal? (Yes, I know that the US 1 cent is no longer bronze; I’m asking about the pre-1983 coin.)

Some coins are made of nickel-brass and aluminum-bronze. What exactly are these made of? Is nickel-brass just nickel and copper or is there some zinc in it? Is there any tin in aluminum-bronze?

Has anyone ever made a coin of lead? Other than counterfeiters, of course. How recently?

[yabob]

This guy seems to have a bunch of info:

http://www.tclayton.demon.co.uk/metal.html

His bit on lead:

Lead is a very soft bluish-grey metal, and so early lead coins do not survive too well. However, it has been used, particularly in southern India around the time of Christ, in China, and in Burma and Siam during the 19th century. Because it casts well and has a silvery appearance when new it has often been used for forgeries, especially when plated to replicate gold coins.

In Roman times lead was used for tesserae, which were tickets or tokens (also made in bronze) that were distributed by the emperor (amongst others) entitling the holder to either food or money.

In its normal state it tarnishes rapidly to a dark grey colour, and has extremely poor wear resistance.

[Shelf_stable_at_room_temperatu]

Germany had platinum coins in the 70s

[Xema]

@dtilque

Some coins are made of nickel-brass and aluminum-bronze. What exactly are these made of?
Has anyone ever made a coin of lead?

Here’s a useful website.

Nickel Brass - Alloy
A copper alloy containing zinc and a small quantity of nickel which is used for the UK ‘brass’ threepenny bit and the pound coin. The composition used for the threepenny bit was 79% Cu, 20% Zn and 1% Ni, while that for the pound coin and early single metal two pound coins is 70% Cu, 24.5% Zn and 5.5% Ni. The outer ring of the bimetallic two pound coin is 76% Cu, 20% Zn and 4% Ni.

Aluminium Bronze - Alloy
Copper-aluminium alloys, sometimes containing a small amount of manganese or nickel. They are yellow in colour and hard wearing. A modern example of its use is with the 5, 10 and 20 centime coins of France.
A variety called Nordic Gold is apparently being used for some Scandinavian coins, and also for the new 10, 20 and 50 eurocent coins because it does not contain nickel. It has a composition of 89% Cu, 5% Al, 5% Zn and 1% Sn.

Lead is a very soft bluish-grey metal, and so early lead coins do not survive too well. However, it has been used, particularly in southern India around the time of Christ, in China, and in Burma and Siam during the 19th century. Because it casts well and has a silvery appearance when new it has often been used for forgeries, especially when plated to replicate gold coins.
In Roman times lead was used for tesserae, which were tickets or tokens (also made in bronze) that were distributed by the emperor (amongst others) entitling the holder to either food or money.

(ETA: A bit late, I see.)

[Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus]

@Shelf stable at room temperatu

Germany had platinum coins in the 70s

I lived in Germany for a year in the late 70s and I certainly don’t remember any platinum coins. Were they bullion coins for investors?

[samclem]

@Spectre of Pithecanthropus

I lived in Germany for a year in the late 70s and I certainly don’t remember any platinum coins. Were they bullion coins for investors?

The only modern platinum “coins” are those made since about 1970 for collectors, not for circulation, no matter who made them.

The only circulating platinum coins of which I know were the Russian 3 and 6 Ruble coins of the mid-1800’s.

Scotland made what are known in the trade as "communion tokens out of lead. I’m not aware of any regular issue lead coins in the last 500 years.

[yabob]

FWIW, the Wiki article on Burmese currency seconds that other guy’s statement about Burmese lead coins in the 19th century:

In the 1860s and 1870s, lead coins were issued for ⅛ and ¼ pya, with copper, brass, tin and iron ¼ pe (1 pya) and copper 2 pya. Further gold goins were issued in 1866 for 1 pe, 2½ mu and 1 kyat, with 5 mu issued in 1878.

From Myanmar kyat - Wikipedia

[samclem]

My bad. Burma did make some small denomination lead coins as cited.