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1796 EM 5 Kopeck odd error


squirrel

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  • 2 weeks later...
picked this one up a while back. obviously had issues during striking.

The "patina" is also quite odd. it resembles rust in color and texture. very even, not like corrossion or verdigris.

 

The "patina" is cuprous oxide, aka "copper rust" or "red plague" (see wiki). It is considered corrosion. Forms by galvanic corrosion, humidity, ammonia, etc.

 

Nasty strike w/ obvious poorly made planchet. The deep indent in the center looks like a strike-thru (but could be post-strike damage). Very cool. I like it.

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The "patina" is cuprous oxide, aka "copper rust" or "red plague" (see wiki). It is considered corrosion. Forms by galvanic corrosion, humidity, ammonia, etc.

 

Nasty strike w/ obvious poorly made planchet. The deep indent in the center looks like a strike-thru (but could be post-strike damage). Very cool. I like it.

 

 

thanks for the info! ive never heard of copper rust! did you see the image of the edge before i deleted it?

ill re-upload if you didnt. the edge is a sharp bevel, and the whole coin looks like a flying saucer from edge on :ninja:

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thanks for the info! ive never heard of copper rust! did you see the image of the edge before i deleted it?

ill re-upload if you didnt. the edge is a sharp bevel, and the whole coin looks like a flying saucer from edge on :ninja:

 

Didn't see the edge photo but I can see the bevel from the current photos. Really poorly formed planchet w/ a poor strike.

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picked this one up a while back. obviously had issues during striking.

anybody think i can get this slabbed?

The "patina" is also quite odd. it resembles rust in color and texture. very even, not like corrossion or verdigris.

About 12 years ago I went through an accumulation of 5 kopeck pieces (several

thousand pieces) mostly of the 1770s through 1790s. These had been kept together

more or less sealed up for several decades and most were covered with a fine copper

oxide. The oxide was so heavy in some case that a cloth had to be used to see details

of the coin.

 

RWJ

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About 12 years ago I went through an accumulation of 5 kopeck pieces (several

thousand pieces) mostly of the 1770s through 1790s. These had been kept together

more or less sealed up for several decades and most were covered with a fine copper

oxide. The oxide was so heavy in some case that a cloth had to be used to see details

of the coin.

 

RWJ

;) wow! that must have been fun! :ninja:

so, like a pirates treasure chest full of copper!?

any keepers? (or photos?)

 

ill bet there was a good story there!

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:ninja: wow! that must have been fun!

so, like a pirates treasure chest full of copper!?

any keepers? (or photos?)

ill bet there was a good story there!

You are right, it was a pleasant experience. Most of the pieces laid aside were

interesting varieties, such as overdates. I did, however, find a Brekke 238, the

scarce 1779 piatak using the earlier eagle. Also purchased from this hoard were

several EM pieces from the early 1780s in which the mint was experimenting

with planchet size.

 

RWJ

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The "patina" is cuprous oxide, aka "copper rust" or "red plague" (see wiki). It is considered corrosion. Forms by galvanic corrosion, humidity, ammonia, etc.

 

 

I also was unfamiliar with the term "red plague".

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_plague_%28corrosion%29 says:

 

Red plague is an accelerated corrosion of copper when plated with silver. After storage or use in high-humidity environment, cuprous oxide forms on the surface of the parts. The corrosion is identifiable by presence of patches of brown-red powder deposit on the exposed copper.

 

Red plague is caused by normally occurring electrochemical potential between the copper and silver, leading to galvanic corrosion occurring in pits or breaks in the silver plating. It develops in the presence of moisture and oxygen when the porosity of the silver layer allows them to come in contact with the copper-silver interface. It is an electrochemical corrosion - a copper-silver galvanic cell forms and the copper acts as sacrificial anode. In suitable conditions, the corrosion can proceed rather quickly and lead to total circuit failure.

 

There appear to be visible traces of silver plating around the eagle, possibly from use as jewelry. Does the coin show marks suggestive of having been looped or mounted in a bezel? (Although something so heavy seems impractical for wearing as a pendant or a brooch.)

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I also was unfamiliar with the term "red plague".

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_plague_%28corrosion%29 says:

 

Red plague is an accelerated corrosion of copper when plated with silver. After storage or use in high-humidity environment, cuprous oxide forms on the surface of the parts. The corrosion is identifiable by presence of patches of brown-red powder deposit on the exposed copper.

 

Red plague is caused by normally occurring electrochemical potential between the copper and silver, leading to galvanic corrosion occurring in pits or breaks in the silver plating. It develops in the presence of moisture and oxygen when the porosity of the silver layer allows them to come in contact with the copper-silver interface. It is an electrochemical corrosion - a copper-silver galvanic cell forms and the copper acts as sacrificial anode. In suitable conditions, the corrosion can proceed rather quickly and lead to total circuit failure.

 

There appear to be visible traces of silver plating around the eagle, possibly from use as jewelry. Does the coin show marks suggestive of having been looped or mounted in a bezel? (Although something so heavy seems impractical for wearing as a pendant or a brooch.)

 

That is merely ONE means by which copper rust forms. Do not mistake that it is the only one.

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