Abstract
Coin currency will degrade when left to the natural environment, forming mineral products as corrosion rinds. The purpose of this study was to determine what mineral products form from the corrosion of certain coins, and their relative extent under different environmental conditions. Two types of pennies (new and old), dimes, and nickels were placed in three different aquatic environments, allowed to corrode, and periodically analyzed. Methods for analysis included scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM/EDS) and powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Coins exposed to salt water, at Emerald Isle Marsh and Anderson Dock, had more severe corrosion than coins in freshwater, at Bent Creek. A total of eight minerals were identified as copper corrosion products. No nickel corrosion minerals developed on any of the samples.
How to Cite
Griesmyer, A., (2013) “Corrosion Mineralogy of Pennies, Nickels, and Dimes in Different Environments”, Capstone, The UNC Asheville Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship 26(2).
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