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 Replies: 15 / Views: 1,327 |
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New Member
United States
5 Posts |
I have a 1971 Kennedy half that only weighs 9.6 grams. It appears to be correct diameter and thickness, but it sounds wrong. Almost as if it could be silver, but it looks to have a copper center from edge on. Any ideas? Thanks in advance. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3507 Posts |
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New Member
 United States
5 Posts |
I'll try to get my kids to help me get a couple of pics posted, but it looks normal. What's not normal are the sound and the weight.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3098 Posts |
Could it be from a silver mint set that got out of its pack?or... could it be a counterfeit, since its 2g lighter?  Edited by wd1040
11/25/2008 01:01 am
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New Member
United States
5 Posts |
Counterfeit maybe, but it doesn't look like it to me. Why counterfeit a 1971 half though? It has me stumped at the moment.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5318 Posts |
Here's an idea...look for a faint seam inside the rim of the coin. It may be a " Magician's coin", which was made into two halves with part of the inside machined out to hold another coin.  to the community! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2540 Posts |
smurf:
Welcome to the forum.
and, Kurt has a good idea.
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New Member
United States
5 Posts |
TreasHunt,
Thanks for the welcome.
KurtS and wd1040, thanks for the ideas. I have found those hollowed out halves before, but they always have a thud sound. I may have figured it out while my daughter was taking pics. The coin is thinner than a normal half. I am now leaning towards a stock error. Quarter stock seems about right. Does anyone know how to figure the weight of a half made on quarter stock? Again, thanks for your help.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1424 Posts |
The strike would be pretty weak on a thin planchet wouldn't it?
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New Member
United States
5 Posts |
bmanofnbc,
arrrgh. I think you are right. Now I am confused again.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5318 Posts |
Bryan,  On quarter stock, I don't think the coin would have strong rims or reeding. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Quote:
Does anyone know how to figure the weight of a half made on quarter stock? Radius of the half, squared. Divide by the radius of the quarter,squared. Then multiply by 5.67 and that will give you the weight of a half on quarter clad stock in grams. Sorry don't have the radius or diameter of the coins at my fingertips. Used some rough figures and I get 7.91 grams. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
1943 Posts |
A list of weights of wrong stock errors is on a page in a blue Coneca 3 ring binder notebook put out by Coneca years ago. I have one at home and will look this up tonight if no one finds it in the mean time.
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Rest in Peace
United States
1943 Posts |
According to the Coneca Handbook a half on quarter stock will weigh 135.98 to 141.58 grains. You now just need to convert grains to grams if your scale will only read grams.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
OK, used some better figures and came up with a weight of 8.99 grams for a half struck on quarter stock. That assumes stock that would produce quarters of exact legal weight. If it were at the upper limit of the allowed tolerance (Quarter planchets would weigh 5.897 grams) the weight would be 9.35 grams. We're getting close.
Converting the CONECA figures to grams we get 8.81 to 9.17 grams.
Edited by Conder101
11/26/2008 7:09 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2734 Posts |
Underweight half dollars are not uncommon. Most likely it was struck on a planchet punched out of rolled-thin stock.
Error coin writer and researcher.
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Replies: 15 / Views: 1,327 |
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Posted 11/25/2008 12:58 am
