Expert: Dmitry Livshits - 3/26/2010

Question
I have what appears to be a 2 headed George Washington quarter.  One side is minted 1985 but the other side is minted 1998.  Is this some kind of medallion or could it be more?

Answer
Hi Stephen,
This commonly referred to as a "magic coin". It is a novelty piece made by splitting and joining either two heads or two tails of a similar coin. Some are made from actual coins, some are made of castings that have a similar design but not an actual coin.
One thing to note about these items: it is very much impossible for a coin to be minted with two heads or tails, since each coin is struck once from a single die with two different halves. Sometimes a coin may get struck twice, on the opposite sides, but you would see evidence of both sides on both sides.
As a novelty piece they have a little value, usually not more than $5 for a quarter. I do see people trying to pass these off as real errors on eBay, in which case they sell for a lot of money. However, the buyers always end up sending them back and leaving negative feedback.
So, if you decide to sell it make sure to describe it as a novelty piece.
Thanks for the question! =)