Pill size coin ---- just for fun

Depicted are a US 25 cent and a Panama 2.5 centésimos. This little coin from 1904 Panama is the same diameter as a tiny California fractional gold ¼ dollar.

California fractional gold ¼ dollar diameter = 0.4” = 10mm

The Panama coin is not thin like our fractional gold. It is quite thick relative to its diameter. It is basically the same thickness as a US quarter.

Washington Quarter thickness = 0.07” = 1.75mm

Its small diameter & considerable thickness has lead to its being known as the "Panama Pill". I hope you enjoy this little pill coin as much as I do. They are regularly available on the Internet and from world coin dealers. If you take your time, you can find a nice one.

There is a lot of detail packed into this little coin. I find them difficult to grade because even the most miniscule ticks can affect a large portion of the coin. Now here is one in an NGC holder. Care to guess the grade on this one?

Very best regards,
collect89

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Are those the obverse/reverse of the same coin?

My guess from the pictures would be AU-59-MS62 obverse and VG-F reverse, but I am a notoriously poor grader.

 

Hello hontonai,

The pill coin photographed in a 2x2 with the quarter is a different pill coin. The pill coin photographed in the new NGC holder (obverse & reverse) is one coin. Please give your grading opinion on the NGC coin for fun. I'll post the NGC grade tomorrow. The reverse has all the detail & zero wear of an uncirculated coin. The reverse is just quite toned compared to the obverse. The obverse is quite lustrous. This thing is really small. You would never see all this detail without the magnification provided in these photos.

Very best regards,
collect89

 

Nice coin :thumb:
I would guess AU 50 for the slabbed coin.

 

sweet

 

big photograph is misleading

If you have never seen one of these pill coins in person, then I suspect that the good photograph is misleading. Put the NGC coin photo on your monitor & then select PAGE, ZOOM, CUSTOM, and 5%. Depending upon the size of your monitor & settings, the coin size will be shrunk back down to something closer to its real-life size. It is really is very small (0.4").

 

In addition to this coin, Panama had another pill sized coin in 1975-1982 2.5 Centesimos.

I don't have any 10mm coins in my collection but the smallest coins I have are all 14-15mm. Must be cool to own one.

 

Just .1mm bigger than 3c silver i think. Guessing MS64

 

thickness

Hello TheNoost,
If you happen to know the thickness of a 3-cent piece, please let me know.
Very best regards,
collect89

 

The Silver 3 cents measures 14mm in diameter and 1.55mm in thickness.

 

So, it's smaller then a 3c silver then? wow!

 

I have a 23 piece set of Liberian "coins" that are 11.5mm diameter .999 gold, so they're about the same size of yours, but a lot thinner. They weigh .7g each.

Still yours and mine are giants compared with the smallest coin ever - the 1750 1/32 Ducat minted in Regensburg Germany. They're .986 gold, 6mm diameter and weigh .1094g.

 

It would be impossible not to lose one of those if used in every day trade

 

Here is a link to an article about world's smallest coin
World's Smallest Coin
and its an Indian coin

 

Thanks to all for sharing

Thanks to all for sharing. NGC's opinion on this Panama Pill is MS62.

Very best regards,
collect89

 

I finally found a picture of one:


Approximate actual size = :smile (3mm)

 

Those 3mm pieces must've been counterfeited a lot back then...

that's almost scary how small that thing is.