Yes, they do cut out the real coin and some are plated but like I said in the original post, he made this one out of solid 14K. I have another one he made with the reverse eagle from the
Standing Liberty quarter also done in 14K but this one doesn't look too good.
Trust me. I tested it before I bought it. I may have been born yesterday but I stayed up all night and studied

. Besides, you can see the casting lines.
PS I own a (small) pawn shop.