Expert: Ronald Fern - 12/4/2011

Question
QUESTION: two years old a friend I worked with gave my a fifty-cent piece
they had popped it apart and the front with Kennedy's head is stamped in a Mexican peso and the eagle side was machine pressed into it. I thought it was a joke, but I work in a convience store and found one that sounded funny and after alot off effort my husband got it open and sure enough there was a peso inside. My husband still has his, I gave mine to his uncle. Have you ever heard or seen this ??? The mint mark is almost down into the date, instead of close under the neck...
thank-you  Robin Farmer

ANSWER: Hi Robin:

Thanks for the question.

It is impossible for this combination to happen inside the mint. It is an alteration done most likely as a magic piece, done to trick you. It is an interesting conversation piece, and they usually sell for a few dollars. It has no added numismatic value.

It is impossible for a coin to have two heads, or tails, as the obverse and reverse dies and there corresponding alignment features are different sizes. For your information, it is also impossible for coins to have two different dates, as the dies are destroyed by the mint after use each year. Two different countries even makes the coin more impossible to be authentic.

If you have a magnifying glass, look closely at either the inside of the rim on one side of the coin, or the edge. The "magic pieces" are parts of two separate coins that have been cut up and glued or bonded together.

Your coin will make a different sound when dropped on a glass surface (table top).
A true coin will have a "ring" to it, where the magic coin, being two pieces, will make a dull sound.

Sometimes people try to fool you into thinking you have an error coin. Please refer to these non error links to see different examples.
See link: http://coinauctionshelp.com/page15.html
See link: http://conecaonline.org/content/OhNo.htm

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

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

Thank You and Good Luck in your collecting.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I thank-you for answering my question, but being that both coins had to be put into a vise and bent enough to pop the pressed side, it took several hours of effort, I don't think a coin used for a magic trick would be hard to open. And for a conversation piece, it wouldn't any good if you could open the coin.

Answer
Robin:

You are correct. Can't say why someone would do it and go through all that trouble more than once. It was not mint made. Perhaps it was a puzzle coin, i.e., coin inside a coin, but more difficult to solve. I'd bet there was a solution to "opening" the coin, other than prying it apart.