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 Replies: 11 / Views: 1,481 |
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New Member
United States
2 Posts |
Hi,
My son just got a 1900 liberty head nickel "V" style with "cents" on the back.
Thing is, that it is gold. Plated anyway.
I thought it might have been a racketeer nickel, but it has the word "cents" on the back.
Were some of the ones with "cents" on them gold plated as well even as late as 1900?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
590 Posts |
I don't think I have seen one, But anything is possible.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
590 Posts |
By the way welcome to the forum.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7123 Posts |
Hi coincrazy Gold plating the V nickel with cents would have been counter productive for the intended purpose. I tend to think it is a modern plating job, much like the State Quarters and westward nickel series coins. Can you post pics of your coin ? Welcome to the forum !! Rick |
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New Member
 United States
2 Posts |
Thanks, I thought it was strange too. Especially in 1900 it wouldn't be worth it...Perhaps plated later in the century to trick collectors? The gold plating is very nice, at first I thought it was pure gold. No sign of wear at all, which probably means it was doen more recently. Back:  Front:  quote:
Originally posted by Metalman
Hi coincrazy
Gold plating the V nickel with cents would have been counter productive for the intended purpose.
I tend to think it is a modern plating job, much like the State Quarters and westward nickel series coins.
Can you post pics of your coin ?
Welcome to the forum !!
Rick
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2365 Posts |
Welcome to the Community!
Sometimes coins are plated to make them into Jewelry or even as Good Luck Charms. It's difficult to tell from the pics how much gold shine is on the coin. This could be the case as the coin looks very well worn.
What coins do you collect?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7123 Posts |
Hi coincrazy
Its interesting !! and probly one of those things that will always be speculation why it was plated ,,
Its a cool coin !!
I have seen a few coins like yours, in western shadow boxes, where only the obverse is seen, and they were intended to imitate Gold coins in the overall scheme of the Box.
Perhaps this one came from something similar?
Rick
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
3831 Posts |
Does there have to be reasons for gold plating? I think you can do that to ANY coins if you like. Value wise? Plating just uses about 0.003 microns or so, so it wouldn't use a lot of real gold.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
It was probably gold plated as a novelty item and more than likely recently plated. I have seen quite a few different coins gold plated and sold as novelties. I bought a gold plated Buffalo nickel for my wife last year when we were at the Denver Mint because she liked it. A guy had a cart set up outside the visitors center selling various coins, errors, and numismatic novelties. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
751 Posts |
Two questions about authentic racketeer nickels:
1) how can you tell for certain that you've got a real one and not a recent plating job?
2) how much does one go for?
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
Well Texasmick, from what I understand, most of the authentic racketeer nickels were plated when the coins were new. They were then circulated causing some of the gold plating to wear off. I believe that the number of actual period racketeer nickels is a matter of speculation as time has added to the lore. The contemporary ones will have a very shiny gold surface generally on coins that are already worn down. As far as value of a period racketeer nickel, I really dont know.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
590 Posts |
A man at a local flea market has about a 50% premium on his Red Book value for F-12 is $8 he has $15 on his because of the gold plating. |
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Replies: 11 / Views: 1,481 |
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Posted 05/20/2006 7:22 pm
