Nordic Gold

Nordic gold (Swedish: nordiskt guld^[1]) is the gold-coloured copper alloy from which many coins are made. Despite the name, it contains no gold, and is a type of aluminium bronze.

50 euro cent coin made out of Nordic Gold.

History

Nordic gold was developed by Mariann Sundberg while she worked for the Finnish metal company Outokumpu.^[2]

Properties

Nodic gold's composition is 89% copper, 5% aluminium, 5% zinc, and 1% tin.^[3][4] The colour and density are unlike pure gold, and compared to commercial copper metal, the alloy has significantly smaller grains.^{[clarification needed]} A thin oxide material is formed after abrasive polishing.^[5] It is hypoallergenic, antimycotic^[6] and somewhat antimicrobial (especially after abrasion)^[7]. It is also resistant to tarnishing.^[8] The European Central Bank says that the alloy is "difficult to melt and used exclusively for coins."^[9]

Uses

Nordic gold was originally developed for the 5 and 10 Swedish kronor coins in 1991.^[10] Many other currencies have also made use of the alloy, most notably in 50, 20, and 10 euro cents.^[3][11] Additionally, the 2 Polish złoty commemorative coins.

It has been studied for antimicrobial applications in hospital, to help prevent MRSA infections.^[8]

See also

• Coinage metal