Expert: PAPAJACK - 10/24/2007

Question
This was printed in Philadelphia and it has a head that is silver and the tail is cooper looking the quarter is thiner then a standard quarter.  Is there a way to find out what the value might be?

Answer
Hello Bill,                                

It was likely the coin is a coin struck on a defective planchet. The U.S. Mint buys strips of metal about 13 inches wide and 1,500 feet long to manufacture the clad coins.
The strips come rolled in a coil. Each coil is fed through a blanking press which punches out round discs called blanks. The leftover strip is chopped and recycled during manufacture.
As the coil of "Nickel Clad" copper material comes near the beginning or end of the roll, the thickness and composition is not always in specification. Somehow this metal scrap may have been put into the blanking press.

It would have produced a clear image on both sides unless it was too thin.

A normal Quarter weighs 5.67 grams and is 24.3 mm in diameter and has a REEDED EDGE! If you coin meets these requirements you could have an error.

The value would have to set by an error coin dealer. There are many instances, in all denominations, of what is called de-lamination of the coin metal on the Nickel-clad coins. For Quarters I usually see only about $15 dollars. If it was struck on the copper core it would bring more.

The price realized if it was sold would depend on the buyers since it is not a regular mint production coin. There is no set price lists for error coins, each seems to get what the market will stand at sale time.  

I hope this helps, Please remember to rate this answer at the bottom of this page. And check the nomination box on the rating page below any comments you may have.

Thank You and Good Luck

PapaJack