Expert: PAPAJACK - 10/21/2008

Question
 I have a 1948 dime that when you flip over is a wheat penny. Mom gave it to me with a bunch of stuff after dad passed and while going thru some of the items in a box came across this with a bunch of other old coins. I've never seen nor heard of a coin like this, have you. If so what would such an item be worth in value so i can put it somewhere safe or is it just a whatever. Thank You Jim

Answer
Hello Jim,                   

This 11 cent piece is a trick coin.

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. (I guess it’s the thickness that aides in the making of them). 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 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 dimes edge. They can be force fit or glued together.

Sometimes this is 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 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. The mint made its own dime blanks from sheet silver alloy rolls. There was no visible copper in the dime metal.

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Thank You and Good Luck

PapaJack