Nordic gold

Nordic gold is the gold-coloured copper alloy from which the middle three denominations of euro coins, 50 cent, 20 cent, and 10 cent coins are made. It has also been in use for a number of years in other countries, most notably in the Swedish 10-krona coin for which it was originally developed[1] (hence the Swedish name: nordiskt guld).[2] Its composition is 89% copper, 5% aluminium, 5% zinc, and 1% tin.[3]

Despite its name, it contains no gold and its colour and weight are quite unlike pure gold. It is non-allergenic; its other advantages include antimycotic[4] and weak antimicrobial (especially after abrasion)[5] attributes, and resistance to tarnishing. The alloy and its tradename are the intellectual property of the global metals and manufacturing group, Luvata (formerly Outokumpu Copper Products).

References

  1. "Nordic Gold in our pockets". scda.com. Scandinavian Copper Development Association. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  2. Predecimal.com. "The selection of the alloy for the New Euro Coins". Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  3. Gizmology.net. "Notes on metals". Retrieved 2015-01-16.
  4. Quaranta, Davide; et al. (January 2011). "Mechanisms of Contact-Mediated Killing of Yeast Cells on Dry Metallic Copper Surfaces". Appl. Environ. Microbiol. American Society for Microbiology. 77 (2): 416–426. doi:10.1128/AEM.01704-10. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  5. Ha, H.; et al. (2011). "Tarnishing and Cu Ion release In Selected Copper-Base Alloys: Implications Towards Anti-Microbial Functionality" (PDF). Abstract #1797, 220th ECS Meeting. The Electrochemical Society. Abstract #1797. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
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