Expert: PAPAJACK - 12/8/2008

Question
QUESTION: I have a brand new quarter that has two heads.  I guess it was supposed to have one of the states on the tail side, but it doesn't.  How often does this happen?  Are they worth more?
Thank you for your time.


ANSWER: Hello Jean,          

This is a common question I have been asked a number of times in the past. There is no USA coin with the same heads and tails side.    

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.

If you look with a good magnifier and light source, where the lower field on one face side of the coin, meets up to the edge you will find a seam. They can be force fit or glued together. Another check is weight; an actual blank weighs 5.75 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

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: My niece tells that the one cents are made of copper, but i heard that they were not. I do know that it once used copper but i heard that they are now made of zinc.
Which is right.


ANSWER: Hello Jean,

The modern U.S. Cents are made of Zinc with Copper plating since 1982.
Before 1982 the One Cent coin was made of 95% Copper and 5% Zinc and Tin alloy. The same alloy was used since 1864.

Nickels are made from 75% Nickel & copper 25% and always had that alloy. With the exception of the nickels made from 1942 to 1945. These WAR-TIME nickels contained 35% Silver. The extra Nickel metal was needed for the War effort.  
Feel free to ask me any question on this or any USA Coins.

Thank You and Good Luck,

PapaJack

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Sorry to bug you with this but then what are quarters, half dollars and dimes made of.


Answer
Hello again Jean,          

No bother at all, Thank you.

Quarters Dimes and Half dollars are made of a sandwich of metals. The center layer being pure Copper and the top and bottom layers are 75% Nickel and 25% copper. These outer layers are the same alloy as the nickel coin.

Good Luck

PapaJack