# Did I just find a conterfeit nickel? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 16, 2004, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658 "2004-06-16T15:00:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/41 "2004-06-17T02:10:53Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I’m not a scientist, but I don’t see how an SEM or spectroscope would help in figuring it out. Taking an X-ray of it might, but it’s not clear that **Crafter\_Man** ’s buddy has that capability. I’m not claiming he will use all those instruments; I’m not familiar with the technology, so I can’t say which ones he would use. All I know is that he has a lab full of nifty equipment. He has X-ray machines, and a cool instrument that will quickly tell you the elemental composition of anything. (I think the latter is either the XRD or the spectroscopy instrument. I’m not sure…) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/42 "2004-06-17T02:33:20Z")
Quoth **KP** : > [@](#): > > I don’t think he will or should. I’m pretty sure what he meant, and as he said, it would rather spoil the secret. Care to give us a few antecedants for those pronouns? I, for one, have no idea who won’t or shouldn’t, what he meant, or what secret he would be spoiling. As for acids, > [@](#): > > Nitric acid produces Cupiric nitrate (dark blue) **DO NOT PUT COPPER IN NITRIC ACID**. Copper will not only react very vehemently with nitric acid, it will produce a great quantity of poisonous gasses. Furthermore, nitric acid will quickly damage human flesh if you spill it on yourself, and the energetic reaction between the copper and the nitric acid may likely cause some to splash out of your container. **Diceman** , are you sure that your acid scar was from hydrochloric? I’ve also spilled concentrated hydrochloric acid on myself (in high school chemistry lab), and I was able to walk (not run) over to the sink and rinse it off, with apparently no harm done at all. Not even any reddening of the skin; certainly nothing which would leave a scar. I presume that if you left it on long enough, it could cause some damage, but I can’t imagine why a person would leave it on that long. But yes, as with almost anything, getting it in your eyes would be bad. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/43 "2004-06-17T03:11:23Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Quoth **KP** :Care to give us a few antecedants for those pronouns? I, for one, have no idea who won’t or shouldn’t, what he meant, or what secret he would be spoiling. I think he’s responding to my post, where I hinted to the OP what it might be, and the later poster who suggested that I might share the secret with the rest of you. Nope, I’m not telling. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/44 "2004-06-17T04:04:59Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > I think he’s responding to my post, where I hinted to the OP what it might be, and the later poster who suggested that I might share the secret with the rest of you. > > Nope, I’m not telling. Yeah I know what he means too, but I’m sure not going to spoil the secret! ---
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/45 "2004-06-17T04:10:40Z")
> [@tadc](#): > > It’s not there for me. > > It is, however, available under the “thread tools” pulldown at the top of the thread. A ha! thanks. ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/46 "2004-06-17T04:42:12Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > I think he’s responding to my post, where I hinted to the OP what it might be, and the later poster who suggested that I might share the secret with the rest of you. That’s okay… **Mr. Moto** answered my question. If only I had bothered to RTFCite. :smack: > [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > He has X-ray machines, and a cool instrument that will quickly tell you the elemental composition of anything. (I think the latter is either the XRD or the spectroscopy instrument. I’m not sure… ) That would be spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction is for figuring out crystal structures. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/47 "2004-06-17T06:18:36Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > I think he’s responding to my post, where I hinted to the OP what it might be, and the later poster who suggested that I might share the secret with the rest of you. > > Nope, I’m not telling. This is The Straight Dope. Specifically GQ, and not MPSIMS. Why are you keeping ‘secrets’? ---
**Author:** ![xvxdarkknightxvx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/34f0e0/32.png) [@xvxdarkknightxvx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xvxdarkknightxvx)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/48 "2004-06-17T06:42:39Z")
Are we playing a guessing game? And **Peter Morris** is the leader? ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/49 "2004-06-17T07:14:08Z")
Oooh! Oooh! I know: 42! Oh, wait. May 33rd? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/50 "2004-06-17T07:53:00Z")
> [@alterego](#): > > This is The Straight Dope. Specifically GQ, and not MPSIMS. Why are you keeping ‘secrets’? Like I said, it’s for a “magic trick” and he’s doing that thing where stage magicians think they need to keep the trick secret. Of course, the fact that anyone with $10 can walk into any freaken magic shop in the country and buy one does kinda let the cat out of the bag, doesn’t it? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/51 "2004-06-17T10:37:48Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Like I said, it’s for a “magic trick” and he’s doing that thing where stage magicians think they need to keep the trick secret. Of course, the fact that anyone with $10 can walk into any freaken magic shop in the country and buy one does kinda let the cat out of the bag, doesn’t it? :rolleyes: Surely it’s not any great secret? You can buy hollow nickels ([$3.50](http://members.tripod.com/~drp/magic.html#coin)) that you can fit a penny inside. Then - _as if by magic_ you can release the coin inside and hey presto, you’ve turned a nickel into a cent. Wow, colour me impressed - I now have 80% less money :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/52 "2004-06-17T10:39:11Z")
Oops, actually that link is for a similar trick but turning a penny into a dime. I guess that makes more sense from a financial point of view, but it’s the same deal. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/53 "2004-06-17T11:40:17Z")
> [@](#): > > Diceman, are you sure that your acid scar was from hydrochloric? Actually, no. It might have been from sulfuric acid or some other type. Still, I don’t think that we should be encouraging Dopers to play around with strong acids. And to actually add something to the OP, I agree that it sounds like it’s some kind of trick coin from a magic shop. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/54 "2004-06-17T12:39:42Z")
IANAM[agician] but my guess is that the coin is modified so that it’s magnetic, but not hollow. The trick may be to get another magnetic coin to repel it or get two magnetic coins to stick together. ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/55 "2004-06-17T14:37:11Z")
I have a magic trick at home which uses a hollow coin to do the magic. You can get it here: [http://www.finalstop.com/magicwholesale/wholesale/](http://www.finalstop.com/magicwholesale/wholesale/) Nickle To Penny To Dime-Adams $3.43 ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/56 "2004-06-17T15:43:40Z")
Hydrochloric acid is not especially scary. But maybe it’s only because I’ve been working with it for four years. Anyway, it is definitely working. Pretty neat. I can’t tell how deep the pit is right now, but the bubbles have to creep out at this point. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/57 "2004-06-17T15:59:48Z")
I’m going to hazard a guess that it is not a magic trick coin, since even though I’ve never seen any in person, I don’t think that they’d be very hard to crack open. Most are 1) cheap and B) probably not meant to stand up to handling and close inspection by a non-magician. So if that’s what it was, it’d be pretty obvious, IMO. Which leaves espionage device. (Spooky music.) ---
**Author:** ![caymus28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@caymus28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caymus28)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/58 "2004-06-17T21:13:38Z")
Well, I opened it! It seems to be some magic trick coin (nickel to penny to dime, listed above). Inside was a half a penny, and a half of a dime. When I say half, I mean that these coins were cut in half laterallly; as in -they are half as thick as the originals. I used some pliers to open it- the whole thing was not damaged at all. I guess I can’t bring down some gangster with that 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2004, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658/59 "2004-06-17T21:26:15Z")
Oh sure. A magic nickel. How much are the Russians paying you to say that? HOW MUCH!??!?!? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-i-just-find-a-conterfeit-nickel/250658.md?page=2)