Expert: Jim Lawniczak - 1/14/2010

Question
I have a bicentennial quarter that is the size of a dime.  On the face of the quarter is the word "copy".  
Can you tell me about this coin?  Thank you.

Answer
Martha, under U.S. law, the word "copy" must be put on reproductions of coins and similar items.  A person must also be careful of counterfeiting (for example if you were to make quarters the size of quarters the gov't would probably look on that carefully and not like it at all).   I'm not sure if there is any such problem making quarters that are the size of dimes and cannot really fool anyone (but people really need to be careful as the gov't very appropriately must protect the money supply against private individuals seeking to "profit" in it), especially if the copy stamp is on the piece -- so I suspect that is what you have here -- a private person made this quarter the size of a dime as a "novelty" item and put the word "copy" on it, Jim Lawniczak