Expert: Jim Lawniczak - 3/23/2009

Question
I found a 1937 dime with the back it saying one cent from a wheat penny.  Is it real and what is it worth?

Answer
John, it is very unlikely that a cent and dime could have been made at the mint -- a while ago I would have said impossible but recently some strange mulings (that's what a piece that has an obverse and reverse that shouldn't be is called) have been seen.  These mule (you can see why that word is the one used here) pieces though are almost certainly the product of a mint employee making rouge pieces that shouldn't have been made.  Much more likely is that someone put together a dime obverse with a cent reverse.  Look at the edge and see if you see a seam.  Also the dime is smaller than the cent and so the dime obverse really should fit completely into the cent rev.  Jim