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
- ↑ "Nordic Gold in our pockets". scda.com. Scandinavian Copper Development Association. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
- ↑ Predecimal.com. "The selection of the alloy for the New Euro Coins". Retrieved 2007-05-29.
- ↑ Gizmology.net. "Notes on metals". Retrieved 2015-01-16.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.