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 Replies: 20 / Views: 13,983 |
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New Member
United States
11 Posts |
I received in change at a neighborhood convenience store what appeared to me to be a 2005-S West Virginia Quarter; stop laughing please I am serious, Yet once I separated it from the other quarters, I immediately knew something was amiss. First, it is obviously lighter than a normal quarter and mint marked P, there is no visible copper on the rim. Does anyone have a clue what I have? Please, do not be so condescending as to tell me it is fake, I am a college graduate with a degree in Automated Manufacturing Technologies and am very familiar with CNC and presses. Thank you in advance for any help with my inquiry.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
564 Posts |
It could be silver. The mint did make silver proof sets. Without a picture that would be my best guess.
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Moderator
 Australia
16836 Posts |
Hello and welcome to the forum.  Here on CCF we try to maintain a family friendly atmosphere and discourage people being rude or condescending, especially to newbies with sincere enquiries about their coins. Hopefully we can find some answers for you. My initial reaction to your find is that it was one of those "plated" coins like the ones they sell on HSN. That would explain everything, except the fact that the coin is "obviously lighter" than a standard quarter; a plated quarter would either be the same weight, or slightly heavier, as would a quarter made of solid silver. If possible, try to obtain an accurate weight, to at least two decimal places. Pictures of the obverse, reverse and rim would also be helpful to the discussion. Either of these would help eliminate these and some of the other possible explanations, such as being struck on a wrong planchet. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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New Member
 United States
11 Posts |
State Quarter weight 5.7 grams, Proof Quarter weight 6.25 grams. I'm not a drug dealer or coin collector so I do not keep a digital scale, but, I reading my post you will note that it states "obviously lighter" than a normal State Quarter. Proofs are only minted in San Francisco, CA which would be a 2005-S not 2005-P (Philly)
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New Member
United States
11 Posts |
Thanks SAP sorry for my rudeness, work related injury vacation, so I can not get accurate weight ( I will though). Out of curiosity how could pictures help? exact weight, would that help determine metalurgy thereby narrowing down possibilities?
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Moderator
Australia
16836 Posts |
If (hypothetically) it were struck on, say, a nickel planchet, that would be "obviously lighter" - it would weigh exactly 5 grams, the same as a nickel, or 0.67 grams less than a normal quarter. It would almost certainly also show some kind of deformity or oddity from being struck on a smaller than usual planchet, which the error experts here could spot even if you or I could not.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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New Member
United States
11 Posts |
thank you again and good night from here.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7123 Posts |
Is it the S you mmentioned in the description or the P mint that you listed it as in the title?
Looking forward to reading the weight of the coin.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
I think his reference to the weight and mint mark of the S minted coin was an answer for the "may be a proof silver coin" question
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
62064 Posts |
If it is a quarter on a nickel planchet, then the devices will fall over the edge of the rim as the die is larger than the nickel planchet. It would look something like this:  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Never give any credence to the statement "it is obviously lighter than" or "heavier than" unless it is accompanied by an actual measured weight. After years of such statements I find that most people can not accurately judge if a one piece is heavier of lighter than another without practice unless the difference is 5 grams or more. Even with practice they can seldom judge difference of less than a gram. I can't begin to count the number of "It is much lighter than a regular cent" "aluminum cents" which when they were finally weighted were 3.1 gram plated copper cents. It isn't that I think you are lying Robert, it's just that I have learned to discount subjective impressions. (And you would be surprised how many "silver" P or D mint State Quarters get reported that turn out to be those plated quarters the TV coin shows have been selling for the last ten years.) |
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New Member
United States
11 Posts |
Thank you Conder101 for the advice (FYI) I am Internet ignorant and am not familiar with my wife's camera, but, thinking I am going to try to get the quarter down to the post office and have it weighed and my 7 month pregnant wife "promises" to help me get the photographs on here today. I have already downloaded the photo software. Just had another idea, I need to go by the pharmacy and pick up some meds, I'm positive they would have a scale and a willingness to help me out. Again, thank you for your advice and helping me focus on ways to figure this out!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1882 Posts |
The pharmacy should have a more accurate scale than the post office...another option would be a jewelry store.
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New Member
United States
11 Posts |
Thank you steve199. A work related extreme injury (hit by forklift while working on a machine at work: shattered heel, blown knee, lower back broken, and neck messed up) I'm in between surgeries - this Friday I go in for the fourth surgery on my heel and a consultation right before on this new procedure that burns a groove into bulged discs causing the fluid to draw back in for four discs in my lower back. Therefore my ability to get around is dependant on friends and family and my pregnant wife (don't ever push my luck there by asking too much, this one isn't going so easy for her) and were I live is about 3 miles to the closest jewelry store, the pharmacy is about 3 blocks away, Post Office 1 mile. After awhile you realize how much of a burden a grown injured man can become. probably too much info but I am getting excited about this coin and am just grateful there is a place like this with so many people willing to just take a moment to help a person they do not even know. I've only used the Internet to keep up on my trade and escape into music to try and keep my chin up. Thank you again, you and all.
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New Member
United States
11 Posts |
Qualifying Statement: No scale at pharmacy, Post Office says .2 oz! The elderly neighbor friend who ran me around (excellent gentleman) has limes disease newly diagnosed after year of improper diagnoses and medications that have ravaged his nervous system, in short palsies. I being on all the medications I take when I try to steady my hand it shakes even more. Oh yeah, I might have inquired my neighbor being an ex-re-loader, but on the way back he tells me that he has a reloading scale at home (appreciation overrode my exasperation). O.K. enough rambling, remember as best we could zero his 2 scales (it just gets better) first the OHAUS 10.10 Precision Reloading Scale = 89.3 grains (start laughing or stop) he brings out his OHAUS Triple Beam Balance = 5.7 grams, yeah folks the math isn't correct but please remember shaking and like I said Elderly as were these scales. My wife, love her dearly, promises, promises she'll help me get the photos.
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New Member
United States
11 Posts |
Conder101 any suggestions on how it was made to look silver (WOW ego check) I don't know if the photos will help but they will be on by tonight. It was like my grandpa used to say, walk slow and drink lots of water!
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Replies: 20 / Views: 13,983 |
Posted 06/24/2010 04:23 am
