1859 Indian Head. Whats Going On? - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 8 / Views: 1,646
coolfool_2 Valued Member United States 90 Posts	Posted 01/30/2017 10:00 pm I recently picked this up in a estate lot, it was stuck in a Lincoln coin album. I'm honestly not sure whats going on. First off, the starburst stamp on both sides. There is not a rim or rear to the coin. It weights 4 grams so I dont think its been ground. It is noticeably heavier than other pennies. I'm also unsure of the composition, when you give it the ping test, like other copper pennies, this thing just thuds off the table, no ring at all. Its a head scratcher for sure, any help appreciated. Sorry for the pictures, dont have access to DSLR at this time. * Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. * Report this Post to the Staff

Omegaraptor Valued Member United States 321 Posts	Posted 01/30/2017 10:02 pm That is an 1859 Indian Head cent. It is a one year type in that it should have a laurel wreath on the reverse, but your reverse is ground off. The coin's composition is 88% copper and 12% nickel, explaining its weight. It was changed in 1864 because of the Civil War. Report this Post to the Staff
ter215 Valued Member United States 230 Posts	Posted 01/30/2017 10:08 pm hello coolfool, maybe someone tried to shaped it into a quarter size for vending? Report this Post to the Staff
coop Bedrock of the Community United States 62064 Posts	Posted 01/31/2017 10:36 am The original weight for this year is 4.67 grams. It looks very altered. Report this Post to the Staff
Dustin6 Pillar of the Community United States 3516 Posts	Posted 01/31/2017 11:26 am with coop. PSD Report this Post to the Staff
T-BOP Rest in Peace United States 18456 Posts	Posted 01/31/2017 1:40 pm Yes, Also . Report this Post to the Staff
ExoGuy Pillar of the Community United States 4421 Posts	Posted 01/31/2017 3:46 pm I've seen similar, inexplicable stampings on various U.S. coins. One such piece, as I recall, was a Liberty Seated Half that also bore a WALTON'S BITTERS counterstamp. Walton's Bitters was a patent medicine. I've yet to see any significance attached to these stampings. To me, they appear to be some sort of cancellation marks. Since the pattern is well-formed, I expect that these were the product of a skilled machinist. Report this Post to the Staff
Coinfrog Bedrock of the Community United States 94367 Posts	Posted 01/31/2017 5:01 pm Yes PSD for sure along with some kind of environmental damage. As noted, the composition here is copper-nickel, and these coins don't "ping" like their later siblings starting in mid-1864. Report this Post to the Staff
CoinCollector2000 Pillar of the Community United States 2563 Posts	Posted 02/01/2017 10:34 pm Art project Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 8 / Views: 1,646

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