What is a Gold Penny?
Generally, when people talk about a gold penny, they are talking about a normal penny that has been treated to give it a gold color. In some cases, however, a penny may actually have been plated with gold. And in some even rarer cases, a penny may have been struck accidentally on a blank of the wrong metal. The gold penny is also the name given to an ancient British coin, worth twenty pence. Creating a gold penny is a common science experiment, especially at the primary and secondary school levels. Many teachers use it to discuss the ancient study of alchemy, and how that relates to modern chemistry. It also demonstrates some basic concepts of chemistry, while providing a concrete result that students can take home, and which can be quite exciting to younger students.
