Anyone Else Researching This? Records Of WWII Era US Mint Experiments...

Well if you read it over n over as I had too,for it to sink in, it's stated as fact. I for one will be getting a copy of the book to gain further knowledge on this subject. PCGS is going out on a limb here, but when someone like Roger Burdette says the mint says they were made, and the documents still exist to prove it, well, you can take it too the bank!
I wonder how many genuine experimental coins have been called fakes when they match the composition, weights, and likeness of these rare coins, of all types!?
Regarding the coin in the link I think they are basically saying that the actual nature of doing experiments and the many variables and anomalies that uccor in this process explain this coin. I'm just guessing the technology we now have is far more accurate then back then witch puts the said coin within tolerance of an " Experimental ". Now where's the other 49 of them! Lol

Yes very interesting also Coop thanks for another good read! One could speculate how the mint employee came into possession, I would like to think his boss that day was being cool and " bought him lunch" ....saying, "yeah go ahead and keep a few if you want, were gonna throw umm away anyhow" ;-) . I would like to think that's how those 1913 Liberty head nickels came about too...
My personal favorite known experimental on record would be the 1942 Glass Penny, recently sold around 70k. Just now I read they made plastic and rubber ones too! I wonder if any of those exist today

Awesome pics Coop!!

Jeremy, Be very cautious if you have a possible Experimental coin, as I do.
I recently ventured a couple hundred miles to Rare Coins in Old Downtown Scottsdale, AZ.
The owner and operator, est. 1982, told me a personal story of an 1800's coin he had at one time, it was called a fake and "piece of counterfeit garbage" by 4 different so called experts, 15 years later it was authenticated and he sold it for 6K. That was 15 years ago and that coin is now worth 30k+. The coin I brought to him was seen with open eyes,His opinion after 40 yrs exp. was that my coin was "probably" real. I also went to 4 other "coin dealers" in the area witch told me my coin was a fake but were so very ready to take it to the long beach show, for a price lol. Also one coin shop who flat out lied to me about the magnetism, witch the old timer was happy to reassure me on and agreed the other guy was a BS artist.. So anyway this veteran spent nearly an hour talking with me and happily handling my coin witch he insisted I inform him of the authenticity of when and If I go that route.

I'm finding that it just depends on who you ask about these things. Make sure any questionable coins be seen by someone who knows what the heck they are looking at and talking about ;)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1974_aluminum_cent

This coin and the circumstances around it are very interesting also. How can they make a claim it was never released if they "re-called" them! Also stating "gave some to U.S congressman"!? What a crock! Now anyone who posses' one is under scrutiny by the FBI and the likes. BS! These Experimental coins will soon have there own category among collectors. They are my favorite, and the rarest of the rare, given as gifts, miss-placed, taken as souveniers or found etc..... You would think the feds have more important issues than missplaced coins! I would have never gave them something that was mine, and far well beyond the statues of limitations, and possesion being 9/10 of the law. But the smithsonian is above the law I guess. I can't believe they stole a coin from an heir of a mint supervisor and a policeman! MEN IN BLACK lol

While I suspect no men in black will be chasing me down for my coins, I have always like this one because it is a year with oddities and is plated so well that the obverse even does a bit of cartwheels.

I was thinking the same. Baekelite would also be acceptable.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakelite

So many misconceptions in one paragraph.

"How can they make a claim it was never released if they "re-called" them!"
They weren't "released" they were distributed to the Legislators on the committee that was studying the proposed legislation that would have authorized them so that they could see what the proposed coin would look and feel like. This is common practice. After the legislation was tabled the Mint asked for them back (recalled them). Some were not returned.

"Also stating "gave some to U.S congressman"!?"

This is a mis-statement. They were shown/passed around to a group of congressmen for viewing, they were not GIVEN to any of them.

"These Experimental coins will soon have there own category among collectors."

They already do.

"I would have never gave them something that was mine, and far well beyond the statues of limitations, and possesion being 9/10 of the law."

They aren't YOURS, being past the statute of limitations only means that you can't be charged for stealing them, and as far as possession being 9/10 ths of the law, stolen property always remains the property of the person or organization it was stolen from. Valid title can not pass from one person to another on stolen goods. (If I stole your collection and 20 years from now they were discovered in the hands of my heirs, the statute of limitations would be long past. Do you think you would want your stolen coins returned to you? Or would you just say "Forget about it, it's been a long time."? )

"But the smithsonian is above the law I guess. "

The Smithsonian is owned by the government so the coins they have are in the hands of their legal owner.

"I can't believe they stole a coin from an heir of a mint supervisor and a policeman! "

They didn't steal it, it belonged to the government not the heir. And they didn't even physically take it, the heir gave it back to them.



The same way a cop justifies stopping one speeder and not another. Laws have always been selectively and inconsistently enforced. You want them to stop and ticket EVERYONE on the Interstate?



At one point in our history the Mint did precisely that, they held that ANY coin that did not conform to the standards set forth in the Coinage acts of 1873 and 74 (including mint errors and patterns) were illegal and they did do confiscations from collections put up for sale. There is also legislation that all pattern coins struck by the government since 1896 are the property of the US Government and my not be legally owned by private citizens. This law is also selectively enforced and there are some pattern coins after 1896 in private hands that have been publicly sold without the government going after them.