The ANA will be exhibiting at the Cool Science Carnival Day that will be taking place on the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs campus on Oct. 11. The event will start at 10 a.m. and will conclude at 4:30 p.m. There will be activities and exhibits for all ages so bring the whole family.

A few members of the ANA staff will be demonstrating at the Science of Money and giving away a couple of prizes. The demonstration will show how the process of electrolysis can be used to conserve ancient Roman coins. The staff will show how saltwater, a 6-volt battery and a spoon can get a coin to shine again.

Sam Gelberd, Numismatic Instructor at the ANA, said, “These ancient coins get all kinds of encrustations from being underground for centuries — Roman soldiers didn’t have banks to deposit their money, so they usually just dug a hole in the ground and buried them, hoping they’d survive, and then dig them back up when they could — if they could remember where they’re buried.”

The ANA exhibit will also include a guessing game called “Guess Which Coin Weighs More?” where kids can look at (but not touch) two coins that will then be placed in a plastic balance/scale. If the child correctly guesses which coin weighs more they’ll get to choose a coin to keep (If they guess incorrectly, they’ll receive a penny planchet/blank packaged with a struck penny, courtesy of the US Mint). Also included will be a display of the different coinage metals as well as the reasoning behind why certain metals are used instead of others.

Other exhibits at the carnival include animals from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, an electric safety demonstration by Colorado Springs Utilities, robots from Rocky Mountain Robotics, and many more. To see a full list of activities, shows, locations and times go to the festival’s website, Colorado Springs Science Center.