Magnesium advertising token. Diameter 39 mm. 3mm thick. Weight 6 g.
To my knowledge, the only true magnesium coins were made by the Nazis for the Lodz Ghetto in Litzmannstadt during the internment of the Jews in World War II. According to the envelope accompanying this piece, they were made from magnesium of downed Nazi airplanes. Some pieces were also made in aluminum.
Authentic magnesium pieces in good condition are very hard to find today for two reasons. First, since magnesium burns, the coins were shaved to be used as kindling by the Jewish prisoners desperate for any source of warmth during the brutal winter. Second, after the liberation of the ghetto, it is likely that most survivors would simply have discarded these coins which would have been of no value to them. Since magnesium tends to corrode quickly when exposed to the elements, when these coins do appear on the market they are often quite badly pitted.
Fakes for tourists, usually made of aluminum, can be found all over Europe and Israel.
Magnesium advertising token. Diameter 39 mm. 3mm thick. Weight 6 g.
In the 1950s, Dow Chemical created an alloy of magnesium called "Dowmetal", which was used in the manufacture of lightweight aircraft parts and suitcases. This is one of their promotional tokens. It's a good-sized chunk of magnesium, bigger and thicker than an old silver dollar, yet surprisingly much lighter.
Note the dark surface oxidation. Like aluminum, magnesium exposed to air acquires a thin protective layer of oxide.
Magnesium medal by Metallium, Inc. Photo used by permission.
Diameter 19 mm, 0.7 grams, 99.8% pure. $13 on 7/6/2006.