Expert: PAPAJACK - 1/3/2007

Question
My husband found a eagle quarter that is struck on the reverse side exactly opposite the front (the eagle head is upright when flipped from top to bottom. there is no date on it. Is this rare? Is it worth anything (other than 25$)?

Answer
Hello Carol,   

Is this a two tailed coin?
These two headed, or Two Tailed coins are Trick coins, sometimes called Magicians Coins.

All the ones I have come across are machined out on one side, while an identical coin is thinned and slightly reduced in diameter. The smaller and thinner half is then placed in the hollowed out half coin.
Sometimes done as a novelty to sell, to fool people on a coin toss, or a machinist apprentice practicing his trade. I have also heard of them being sawed in halves and glued together.

They may sell for .50 cents and up to $2 dollars in a shop. Again they are not rare, and are not in demand by coin collectors.

The modern process the US Mint uses makes it virtually Impossible for an HEADS (obverse) die to be matched with anything but a TAILS (reverse) die in the presses used to stamp out coins.

On another note, all U.S. coinage uses what is called a COIN turn. Most other country’s use the MEDALIAC turn.

This simply means that when the coin is turned over from left to right looking at the heads side, that the reverse side is viewed right-side up as well. Just like a medal you wear on a chain would be viewed right side up as it flips on your neck. Thus the term MEDALIC TURN.

For the COIN turn The medal is always 180 degree offset. You have to flip it top to bottom looking at the heads side, that the reverse side is viewed right-side up as well.

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Thank You and Good Luck

PapaJack