Expert: PAPAJACK - 3/6/2009

Question
Hi, I have a dime with no front. Each side is stamped with the back. The coin is half the thickness of a regular dime. And seems to be less in weight accordingly. There appears to be some variation in the leaves on one side of the dime. I believe this is the olive branch to the left of the torch. I took a photo but I could not get the camera to focus well enough. So I guess my question is... is this a forgery? or something of any value? Thank you for your generous time.


Answer
Hello Larry,              

The term for this item is an “Altered Coin“!
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. (I guess it’s the thickness that aides in the making of them). 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 reeded edge intact, while another coin is thinned and slightly reduced in diameter to remove the reeding on the edge. The smaller and thinner half is then placed in the hollowed out half coin.

Look with a good magnifier and light source, where the lower field on one side of the coin, meets up to the reeded edge. They can be force fit or glued together. Another check is weight; an actual dime blank weighs 2.27 grams for a clad coin and 2.50 grams for a silver issue.
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.

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Thank You and Good Luck

PapaJack