2005-P West Virginia Quarter Looks Silver

biokemist6 thanks! Is it even worth asking another favor and getting it weighed on a proper digital scale, or just tuck chin and try to forget that I am pretty sure I have made myself internationally embarrassed. I have never used a scale that wasn't electric and calibrated, do you think our shakiness and not even worrying about perfection would be enough to triple check myself.

I think internationally enlightened is a better way of looking at it RobertHoward.

Here's a similar story for you. I work in the printing industry, digital pre-press and just this past Friday, one of the pressmen brought in a silver State Quarter that he got in change that morning. He was showing it to one of the salesmen when I heard about it so I asked "whatcha got there?"

Mind you, I was mostly interested in the story part of finding it in change. If I were looking to buy a silver State Quarter that day, a circulated one wouldn't be my first, second or third choice. Still, it would be worth something over melt. The pressman was feeling everyone out seeing who might want to buy it. Just to heighten suspense of the moment, I say "ooooh, and silver is over $18 and ounce right now". They both look at me sort of blankly like until that moment they had no idea if silver was $1.80 an ounce or $180. Founded or not, I believe with mention of that visions of dollar signs danced in their heads.

I was in the middle of something when all this came about, so I said later on I'll find out how much silver there was in a State Quarter. [In retrospect, I need to know this sort of thing off the top of my head!] But it was not to bolster or hinder the success of neither buyer nor seller, it's just that I myself would have at least offered melt for it. In the mean time the salesman is looking up silver State Quarters online and coming up with e-bay auctions and coin shops.

So after lunch the pressman brings the coin around again and is showing it to the salesman and obviously ready to sell. I was in the middle of something else again by then and only paying peripheral attention but I do tell them the amount of silver in a silver State Quarter. Before you know it the silver State Quarter and $2 change hands with the salesman the happy new owner (he'd been looking at MS e-bay and coin shop prices all morning) and the pressman the happy profitier (probably would have had this thing in the soda machine before long.) I say "Two dollars? I'd have at least given you $3-4".

Just as the deal makers are about to part I hear one of them mention "D". This gets my attention and I say "D? Let me see that thing!" The proud new owner hands the coin over and I look at it under a handy printers loupe and it is silver alright, and it's also a D. I say "This should be an S". But he didn't get it. The salesman is the nicest guy too and not they type you think of when you think of "salesman". He took the position after a long career in the pressroom and is only a couple years from retirement. It was pretty obvious this made his day big time so I didn't have the heart to say those day spoiling words "silver plated".

Before the deal was made I certainly would have said something had I known it was a D. If you plug silver plated State Quarter into Google, the Home Shopping Network is the first hit. And I'm all for numismatic education but after the deal was done and knowing the cast of characters (and I weighted this for the rest of the afternoon before deciding) I would have felt like a jerk pointing it out. Everyone was happy with the deal and saying more may have meant otherwise, but mostly because it just seemed to make the salesman's day (and in the printing industry there isn't much to do that these days.)

So RobertHoward, I would not feel embarrassed at all. Why? Because Home Shopping Network and similar sources silver plate coins specifically to make them look and seem like solid silver coins. So it's is an easy mistake to make. In fact it's the second instance I've heard of it in 5 days!

Instead I give you much credit because you did something that most people don't do. You found a great coin forum and posted the question and with the help of others have educated yourself. I admire your determination in your personal situation as well. This thread will also serve to educate others who maybe don't join but search under similar circumstances and come up with your experience. You won't even know who all this has helped. As a fledgling member here myself dare I speak for the group to say that it would bring smiles all around to find that your plated silver quarter had opened up an interest in coins for you. Wanting yet another option on your coin tells me you really really want it to be a silver quarter. So in that light I'll pose this question to ya Robert:

Do you now find an interest in owning a genuine 2005 West Virginia silver quarter? Or another state?