Expert: Ronald Fern - 1/19/2010

Question
I received a quarter the other day in some change and it appeared shinier than most. Upon examining it more, I found that it has a smooth edge all the way around (no ridges like other quarters) and I can not see that the coin is made up of different layers of metal, it appears to be one solid piece, with no copper center. It appears to be the same size as a regular quarter, though I have no tools to check that with exactly, nor to get an exact weight. Could this be a mint mistake?

Answer
Hi Dan:

Thank you for your question.

It is hard to give you a precise answer without a photo or actually examining the coin. It sounds like you may have an altered coin. You need to compare the coin with a normal quarter. Check the thickness, diameter and weight. There is no explanation for an error quarter without the reeding to be exactly the same as a normal one. It could be struck on a 5 cent planchet, which is smaller in diameter and thicker than a quarter, but the strike should contain at least partial reeding, and the weight is different.  

The value of your error would depend on the condition, date and strike. If struck on a 5 cent blank, your piece would likely have an value of $125 to $250 to an interested error collector, with the higher value going along with the higher grade coin.

You may want to check eBay listings in the error category under US coins from time to time to see if coins like yours are listed and what they are going for. You may also want to check out these links on error coin values:
http://www.coinsite.com/html/USErrorPrices.asp
http://www.minterrornews.com/priceguide.html
Also see: http://conecaonline.org/content/OhNo.htm

Please remember to go to the experts site to rate this answer. And check the nomination box on the rating page below any comments you may have.

Thank You and Good Luck in your collecting.