Expert: PAPAJACK - 9/23/2008

Question
My son was given a coin collection from his Uncle.  In looking through it we found a 1990 Quarter with smooth edge.  When looking at the edge of the coin we can see a very thin copper band close to the "tails" side of the coin.  We were wondering if this was anything special or not.  Thanks

Answer
Hello Wade,                                     

How clear is the Obverse of the coin? Is the design very strong and detailed?

There are a few ways of this happening;
There was always the possibility of an undersize diameter coin blank getting in the production run at the mint. (This error would have to be confirmed by an expert.) But the top and bottom are not usually well struck.

Another possibility if the coin is a cent struck on a different US Coin blank, since the U.S. Mint buys strips of metal about 13 inches wide and 1,500 feet long to manufacture the clad coins. The strips come rolled in a coil. Each coil is fed through a blanking press which punches out round discs called blanks. The leftover strip is chopped and recycled during manufacture. As the coil of Nickel Clad material comes near the end of a roll, the thickness and composition is not always in specification. Somehow the metal scrap may have been put into a quarter blanking press.

Get a good magnifier and a light source. Examine the edge on the coin at all angles.

The silver colored part made of a copper and nickel alloy is ductile. The metal often stretches over the coins edge to hide the pure copper core that is in the middle of the metallic sandwich. In the same way the softer copper can stretch down and cover the Nickel colored part.

If the surface is kind of rough and pitted it sounds like it may have been in an acid bath that removed the reeds on the edge.

If you still suspect it to be a genuine error it needs to be checked by a specialist. If it is a genuine error, it will have numismatic value. But it cannot be attributed without a knowledgeable coin person seeing it.

The Item would have to be seen to be accurately appraised. A photograph would not really help with this. If you write back with the general location (nearest large cities) and telephone area code or codes and some zip codes in your area, I can direct you to an AMERICAN NUMISMATIC ASSOCIATION MEMBER/DEALER near there. They are ethical and trustworthy.

Or there is help at most large coin shows. There are representatives from the grading services. ANACS service even some smaller shows. They give free consultations on coins at their table. If you need to find a show or an error coin authenticator in your area just write me again.

Again most likely the edge has been altered after it left the US Mint.  This renders them worthless to true coin collectors. Only if the coins had come from the U.S. Mint this way would they be valuable.

I hope this information Helps.

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Good Luck