To achieve digital identification of iron relics and construct their digital genetic characteristics, this study investigated electromagnetic non-destructive testing. An electromagnetic non-destructive testing technique based on incremental permeability was proposed for relic identification, capitalizing on the high sensitivity of incremental permeability signals to surface texture features, internal porosity, and material properties of iron artifacts. A hardware detection system was designed to extract incremental permeability signals from various ancient coin samples. Empirical mode decomposition was employed to extract electromagnetic signal features, establishing average envelope genetic maps and genetic sequences for different coins. The discrimination of ancient coins was realized by comparing genetic sequence differences through correlation coefficient and Euclidean distance metrics. Results demonstrate that the incremental permeability-based method exhibits favorable sensitivity and resolution in distinguishing different ancient coins, providing a valuable reference framework for subsequent cultural relic conservation efforts.