Coin and Paper Money Collecting/nickel, real or not?

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Expert: - 12/5/2008


Question
i have recently acquired a nickel that has no heads side.  it has the building on both sides of it, now ive talked to several people for information on it.  i was told that it might be a magicians coin, and was told what to look for to determine if it was. i have inspected it very well and also seeked opions of others and cant find one thing that would make it a magicians coin. can you help me out with more info on it,  anything you can do will be appreciated.  thank you

Answer
Tonya,

1) weigh it -- should be exactly 5 grams

2) ring it -- when dropped on a hard surface it should "ring" not "thud" -- compare to another nickel.

3) examine it with a strong magnifier.  Look on both sides of the coin, just inside the raised rim, try to find the seam where the two pieces are fitted together.

Any of these tests will indicate the altering of your coin.

Being that there has never been a 2-headed or 2-tailed nickel ever authenticated, the likelihood of yours being real is miniscule.

I hope this helps,

Dan

Coin and Paper Money Collecting

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Dan Moore

Expertise

My strong familiarity with all U.S. Mint coins, extensive reference library, and close relationships with many other dealers allows me to identify just about any coin made in the USA. I receive regular updates to all the current price guides -- both wholesale & retail -- to provide accurate values. So, with a good description or pictures, I should be able to identify and value any U.S. coin you have.

Experience

I've been a coin dealer since the 1980's and a coin collector since the 1960's. I specialize in U.S. Silver Coins and have an active online website -- The Working Man's Rare Coins -- http://www.workingmancoins.com -- offering information and inventory in U.S. coins.

Organizations I belong to :
American Numismatic Association Member #187770
Michigan State Numismatic Society Member #8255
Florida United Numismatics Member #19710
Monroe Coin Club Treasurer
Lincoln Coin Club Board Member
WINS Member #14
CoinMasters Member #1814

Frequently Asked Questions :
I have created a Frequently Asked Questions page on my website, where you may be able to get an immediate answer to your question. You can find the page here :
http://www.workingmancoins.com/FAQ/index.htm


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