Expert: PAPAJACK - 12/19/2008

Question
QUESTION: I have a quarter that has the eagal on both sides. It looks real but I have been told that it could be a magic quarter. I dont thik it is but what do you thik

ANSWER: Hello Mike,          

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.

I look forward to hearing from you with more information.
Please make your question private.

Thank You and Good Luck,

PapaJack


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

QUESTION: If you know about paper money let me know the answer to this  question. I have a one dollar bill that is misprint on the Washington head side. it is aligned a noticeable amount and there are numbers and letters way off set do you know a ball park selling price of this kind of misprint

Answer
Hello Mike,

I do have some catalogs on USA Error Notes. There seems to be a wide range of errors like this and some are more desirable to error collectors than others. So there was no ball park price range. With a bit more information we can sort out what overprinting was in error. This is providing that the misplaced designs are not a transfer from another sheet.
If you have an image it would help a lot.

What is in the area that the design has moved from? Is it blank? Is there other printing there?
I need to know what letters are off-set.
And by how far off set they are? Are any missing from the note?

The notes are over-printed three times so different features can move to different places.
How far offset the design is sets the value so it is an inch or off the edge of the note makes a difference.
Also what is the date series on the note and what is the serial number? Please include any letters or characters.  

I will be more than happy to look it up.

Use the private question option by checking the box on the question page when you write back.

Good Luck

PapaJack