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 Posted - 12/07/2006 : 12:58:03
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Hey all I have always had a habit of flipping coins and notice some pennies would ring after flipping and some just went "thunk". After looking into your forum and researching collecting copper pennies I found the info on pre 82 coins. So sure enough I went coin flipping and found that EVERY coin pre 82 had a ringing to it when flipped and EVERY post 82 coin just went "thunk". I have tried this method on 1982 pennies and some ring and some "thunk" thus seperating 82 coppers and zinc is easy. Time consuming but easy. Hope you guys try it out.
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Cerulean
Penny Hoarding Member
USA
993 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2006 : 13:47:55
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| This 'ring test' is what I do to sort my 1982 pennies. However, the ability to detect that ringing sound is dependant on one's hearing sensitivity to higher-pitch sounds, an ability that decreases with age. Those of us with young ears get along fine with the ring test; those who've seen more years go by have other methods. |
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Metalophile
Penny Collector Member
USA
320 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2006 : 15:17:27
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I use the "ring test" in a slightly different way. I toss the penny on a piece of ceramic tile in my kitchen. I use the ring test as a quick screening tool. Then I take the pennies to work (in a lab) and confirm by weight. I think the accuracy of my ear is about 95%. Can probably be thrown off if there's corrosion or dirt stuck on the penny.
Metalophile |
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Metalophile
Penny Collector Member
USA
320 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2006 : 15:28:39
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Here's a quote from one of my earlier posts in the "sorting percentages" topic (09/05/2006):
"BTW, I am saving my 1982 Bronzes separately from Pre-82, just in case I take them to a scrap yard one day and they balk at 1982's being mixed in there. I separate the 1982's using the "ring test" as a screening method. Then today I took them to the lab to confirm by analytical balance. Using a 2-place balance (balance that reads to hundredths of grams, I take a stack of 5 1982's I believe to be bronze. If they weigh more than ~15.10 grams, then the whole stack is correct (unless one or more of the pennies has obvious foreign matter or corrosion). Likewise, a 5-stack of zincolns weighs just over 12.5 grams. If it weighs over about 13.00 grams, then I weigh one-by-one to check for a bronze. Out of 70 1982's I misidentified only two by the "ring test"."
Metalophile |
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just carl
Penny Hoarding Member
USA
601 Posts |
Posted - 12/15/2006 : 18:27:32
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Your either joking or your not a coin collector. Bounding coins to hear a ring will scratch, dent and help ruin coins that may otherwise may have had real value. There are much easier ways with out damaging the coins. For example buy a balance scale. Or make one. Take a round pencil, place an ice cream or pop sickle stick on the pencil until it balances. Glue it to that spot. Place a new cent on one side at the end. Now as you place any other cent on the other side regardless of the date, if it falls down rapidly, it is an old copper cent. If it barely moves, it is the Zinc, Copper coated one.
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Metalophile
Penny Collector Member
USA
320 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2006 : 16:19:10
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Just Carl, you missed the point entirely. The point is to quickly sort 1982 pennies into copper and zincoln. If the coin is XF/AU before I toss it on the counter to hear the ring, it is still XF/AU afterwards. We're not collecting these for numismatic value (there is none unless the penny is MS 65 or better).
BTW, small scratches, maybe, dents, never from a quick toss on the counter.
And my status as a small time coin collector has nothing to do with saving copper and zinc pennies. Many on this forum are not coin collectors at all.
I have described already in several places on this forum how I use the ring test for a screening method, and balances to confirm what I find on the ring test.
Metalophile |
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pencilvanian
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
2209 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2006 : 16:58:27
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As far as the ring test goes,
I once saw a coin dealer do the ring test on a silver coin to determine if it was silver or not, silver has a unique sound when rung.
If the test is acceptable to determine silver from base metals, then the ring test is more than good enough to determine zinc from copper.
The ring test gets both praised and a cursed in the world of coin collecting, but like anything else in life , it is up to the individual to decide what is right or wrong for themselves. |
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just carl
Penny Hoarding Member
USA
601 Posts |
Posted - 12/18/2006 : 21:44:25
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quote:
Originally posted by Metalophile
Just Carl, you missed the point entirely. The point is to quickly sort 1982 pennies into copper and zincoln. If the coin is XF/AU before I toss it on the counter to hear the ring, it is still XF/AU afterwards. We're not collecting these for numismatic value (there is none unless the penny is MS 65 or better).
And my status as a small time coin collector has nothing to do with saving copper and zinc pennies. Many on this forum are not coin collectors at all.
Metalophile
Ahh yes the statement of not being a coin collector makes CENTS. For example it is apparent that knowing that one good dent on a AU, 1982 Zinc/Copper, small date would drop the price from now $3 to about $1 at coin shows I go to. A roll of 50, 82 small dates, Zinc/Copper in AU WITHOUT DENTS goes for about $150. But as you noted your not a coin collector so who cares.
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copper or zinc easy test
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