Not a US coin so I'd ask in the world forum instead. Something from South America judging by the llama, not sure if it's even a coin since it has no country on it. Looks like some sort of medal or token.
I'm pretty sure it isn't a coin but rather a modern fantasy reproduction token from a belly dancers skirt.
It appears to have been made from (or in imitation of) a Bolivian coin. I have a 10-centavo piece with a similar design.
Good sleuthing! Yes, it appears to be the 1942 bronze Bolivia 50 centavos, with the oval portion cut out. https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4901.html
Thank you. I wondered about the color (aha-bronze- that makes sense now!), and about that beaded oval border. I was too lazy to look up the type on Numista. That ovoid border threw me off, because on my 10c piece, I never recognized it as an oval until just now. I took it to be a circle on my coin. It’s rounder looking on my smaller coin. The rest of the design was an obvious match, though. Cool that the jewelry piece was made from a one-year type. That removes any uncertainty about when the host coin was made: 1942.
Nope, it was a coin, all right- or rather, part of one. But since it got made into a charm, you can be forgiven for the belly dancer theory. It probably was used as a similar adornment for clothing, though it’s no modern fantasy repro.
Looks like @wagon40 left right before I posted my coin. Hopefully will come back for the solution to the mystery, instead of leaving for good with a shrug. “Aw, rats, just some modern belly dancer trinket”. LOL
of course, someone could ask ... why would someone do that to a coin? all for the love of belly dancing .... fyi, it's not an error.
