Expert: Ronald Fern - 5/18/2010

Question
I have a 1976 nickel that is normal on the front but there is nothing at all on the back of the coin. Not even an offset hit mark. Is it worth anything?

Answer
Hi Brad:

Thanks for your question.

You could have an error or an altered coin. I really need more information to offer you a good opinion. If you want to provide a photo or some of the coin characteristics, I'll add to my answer as required. What you need to do to determine if it is an error: (1) Compare the weight or thickness to a "normal" five cent coin. (2) If you have a magnifying glass, look for indications that the coin reverse was modified or ground down. Is the reverse smooth or rough?

Real error possibilities are: (1) Spilt before struck planchet (smooth reverse), or split after struck planchet (rough reverse) and both thinner than a normal coin. (2) Reverse struck with a split planchet under the normal blank instead of the reverse die. Each would have an approximate retail value of between $20 to $50, depending on condition, to an interested collector. As an altered coin, done after it left the mint, and it would have no added numismatic value. It is possible to place the coin in a vise and file it down, or hold it to a grinding wheel and remove the reverse.

I've provided two links for you to see what type of other non-error coins exist.
See link: http://coinauctionshelp.com/page15.html
See link: http://conecaonline.org/content/OhNo.htm

You may want to check ebay listings under US coins in the error category to see what these errors 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

If you live close to a local shop, they should offer an opinion as to it's value and if it is authentic at no charge. Always try and get at least two opinions and try and deal with PNG dealers if possible. Here's a link to find one in your area: http://www.pngdealers.com/dealersearch.php


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Thank You and Good Luck in your collecting.