Coin and Paper Money Collecting/1971 Kennedy Half Dollar

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Expert: - 12/28/2008


Question

1971 JFK half dollar
I received this coin as change sometime in 1972. I have carried it with me until 2 years ago, when I put it away in a safe place when I noticed that it had some small scratches.

I had a great Uncle that collected this kind of coins, he called them a 'Fido'?

I have tried to research this coin under those terms and have come up blank.

This coin is unusual & almost cruel. I has a huge bulge in President Kennedy's head ( it fills the space between the I and B in the word Liberty.  the bulge looks like a terrible head wound and can be felt on both sides of the coin.

Could you please tell me what I have?? I have to think it's the only one of it's kind????

Thank you so much,
Jeanne


Answer
Hello Jeanne,                                   

It is not one of a kind, and was not issued by the US Mint this way.  

This is an altered coin. Someone has changed the coin after it left the mint. Sometimes this is accomplished by using heat or by mechanical means.  This would be considered an oddity.

When the coin was struck on both sides at once using thousands of pounds of pressure to impart the design the coin would have had to be flat with no un-intended bumps. If they were there before they would not be visible after being squeezed that hard.

These pocket pieces do show up from time to time and trade at a coin show for a dollar.

Feel free to write me back with questions on any USA Coins.
Please make your question private.

Thank You and Good Luck

PapaJack

P.S.
The term is a general acronym in coin collecting and other areas.  What does FIDO stand for?  Freaks, Irregulars, Defects, Oddities

There also was "fido" the acronym in Webster's 1974 Collegiate Edition as Freaks, Irregulars, Defects, and Oddities.  
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PAPAJACK

Expertise

Knowledge of United States Coins from 1793 to date. Able to answer most common numismatic questions. Collected U.S. Coins from half cent to 50 dollar gold coins.

Experience

QUALITY CONTROL
United States Coin COLLECTOR/DEALER OVER 20 YEARS, U.S. COINS Worked trade shows,
EXPERT Consulting since 1990, Knowledge of all methods of fabrication used in the industry.
Hobbies:US notes, clocks, cars, computers, coins, leisure activity and crafts to name a few.

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