Expert: PAPAJACK - 10/8/2008

Question
I came across a 2 headed quarter made in 1973 one side has the mint stamp and the other side doesn't is it a misprint since the mint stamp isn't on both sides and if not how did the machinist find a quarter without a mint stamp to place on the other side?

Answer
Hello Benton,

In 1973 Quarters made at the Philadelphia mint did not get any mint mark.
So now you can be sure this is an altered coin since the dies used were from 2 different parts of the country as well.  

They are not rare and it is not an error coin. I have experience with these coins and have seen them in Quarters, Half Dollars and Nickels.  

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 carefully keeping the edge intact, while another coin is thinned and slightly reduced in diameter to remove the outer edge. The smaller and thinner half is then placed in the hollowed out half coin.

Look with a good magnifier and light source, where the lower field on one side of the coin, meets up to the edge. They can be force fit or glued together. Another check is weight; an actual nickel blank weighs 5 grams.

Sometimes they are made as a novelty to sell, or to fool people on a coin toss, or just a machinist apprentice practicing his trade. I have also heard of them being sawed in half and glued together, but the sawed ones are easier to detect.

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.

If you still want a dealer to look at the piece for you just write and  give me the nearest large Cities, some postal zip codes and telephone area codes I will refer you to an expert in your area.

Thank You and Good Luck,

PapaJack