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 Replies: 8 / Views: 1,059 |
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New Member
United States
2 Posts |
Hey, I found a very strange Kennedy half dollar in a roll today that I need help identifying what exactly it is. It seems to be a 1973 half dollar minted on an all nickel planchet. There is no trace of copper anywhere along the edge. I read elsewhere that people are finding modern quarters with the same (errors?) as many are mistaking them for silver. The sound of this coin if pinged sounds very close to the regular clads. Can anyone tell me any info about this coin? Is it rare? I don't have a digital scale to weigh it.... I am guessing that this is what I will need to do. Thanks in advance! :)   |
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Moderator
 United States
16677 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1807 Posts |
 to the forum. Most likely you have a clad Kennedy half dollar. Some coins appear not to have the copper inside them but it is there. There are no known silver 1973 half dollars. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3098 Posts |
Could it be struck on a foreign planchet? Or maybe the copper core was so lopsided or thin that it doesn't show up?
Or... could someone have colored over it? Like this one?
***finding link*****unless someone beats me to it***
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2602 Posts |
I think it is normal and what you are probably seeing is years of dirt/grime that worked it's way into the rim ridges and this turned the color of the rim from it's usual copper toned color to a more silverish color. I see these all the time roll searching halves.
Edited by mycrob
01/16/2009 5:56 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3640 Posts |
Hi
Before you toss it, weigh it up just for the heck of it.
1971-present (cupro nickel) 11.34 grams.
65-70 40% silver 11.5 grams
64 90% 12.5 grams.
Also does not hurt to check 65 halfs for 90%.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3507 Posts |
I would like to see a normal sized (larger picture) of the obverse of the coin. I think it may be plated and that would obscure the copper on the edge.
It is also important to note that the core is copper and is not always visible at the edge.
Your picture of the obverse has a strange sheen to it so I can't tell if it is the photo or the coin but many are plated outside of the Mint to be made a part of those "waste of money" plated sets of coins you can buy on TV.
Thanks,
Bill
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New Member
 United States
2 Posts |
OK here is a close up of the coin in question in a stack to compare with other clads, and another photo close up next to a new clad. It has some wear on it so it looks slightly different then the new clad, but this appears to be normal wear, coin is probably in good-very good condition. Quote:
I think it is normal and what you are probably seeing is years of dirt/grime that worked it's way into the rim ridges and this turned the color of the rim from it's usual copper toned color to a more silverish color. I see these all the time roll searching halves. I went through about $850.00 in halves today and I didn't see another coin remotely like it on the edge. It's definitely not dirt as the coin is really clean, and somewhat worn... If you see the edge in person it just looks like a clean edge on a silver coin, except more nickel colored. It may possibly have the nickel edges covering over the copper as some folks suggested, and I guess the only way to know for sure would be to weigh it....I don't have a digital scale so I might have to go to a bank or someplace else to get it weighed. It's probably nothing, but, I've just never seen this before.   Edited by 1869er
01/17/2009 12:24 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3507 Posts |
There is a microscopically thin layer of plating on the coin. Many ads used to say 3 mils thick. That's .003 (Three thousanths) of an inch thick.
The consistency of the surface and the color indicates that it has been plated outside the mint and then was placed into circulation.
I have coins like this as well and the plating obscures the edge.
Thanks,
Bill
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Replies: 8 / Views: 1,059 |
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Posted 01/16/2009 5:23 pm
