Coin, Brazil, 20 Centavos
1945 - VF(30-35) - Aluminum-Bronze - KM:556a
Getulio Vargas bust left.
Denomination above line, date below
KM#556 has a very light yellowish appearance while KM#556a is a deeper yellow.
3.9 gr
Aluminum bronze
Bronze (not to be confused with brass, although usage of the two terms varied in times of yore) is an extremely ancient alloy of copper and tin with origins going back to the period around 2,000 BC. Also known...wait for it...as the Bronze Age (who would have guessed?)
In contrast, the addition of the third wheel, aluminum, is a far more recent development, as the technique for extracting aluminum from bauxite was only perfected in the 19th century.
The proportion of aluminum used for this extremely corrosion-resistant alloy is generally 15%. Small quantities of other materials such as magnesium are also sometimes added.
Its is frequently used for coinage.