Expert: Joe Hylas - 6/18/2008

Question
I found a copper coin at a garage sale in Sidney, Iowa which I bought for $1.00. When I found it, it was in a little display case that you could hook onto other cases similar to it. It had on one side, a building with the words, "Department of the Treasury" above the building. On the other side it said that it was made in a Denver, Colorado mint with a scale, a shield, and a key either above or below the little "D" that they use to say that it was made in a Denver mint. I've tried looking in books and I've tried looking on the Internet to see what it is. I just can't seem to find anything that looks like the coin that I described. Can you help tell me what kind of coin this is?

Answer
Hi Alex,
I know exactly what it is.

It is not a coin.  It is a medal that was part of a US Mint Set which has 2 parts, the Denver part and the Philadelphia part.
Traditionally, a MINT SET is one of each coin that the US Mint produced for commercial purposes, that is to be circulated and used as change.  The coins from each mint were sealed in cellophane with the appropriate medal.

Your medal was cut out of the mint set and put in the holder.  Some people collect these but since they are not dated, for all practical purposes, once you have one you would not need another.

Regards
Joe Hylas
www.AllCoins.US