Dirty Money
Kirt's Cogitations™ #121
These original Kirt's Cogitations™ may be reproduced (no more than 5, please) provided proper credit is given to me, Kirt Blattenberger.
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Cog·i·ta·tion [koj-i-tey'-shun] – noun: Concerted thought or
reflection; meditation; contemplation.
Kirt [kert] – proper noun: RF Cafe webmaster.
Dirty Money
Filthy lucre takes on a whole new meaning with the new 1-euro and 2-euro coins. A recent study concludes that the coins release up to 320 times as much nickel as European standards permit for prolonged contact with the metal - a common skin allergen. The culprit is the anodic action between the coin's double nickel alloy construction. A 40 mA current flows between the two alloys at the interface. "It's like a mini-battery," said one investigator. The current leads to corrosion and the release of nickel ions. Job Announcement: The E.U. is in desperate need of a junior level college chemistry major to consult before settling on the design of the new euro coins.