My wife picked up this dime in change and immediately recognized it as unusual. I've been scratching my head over it, because I've never seen anything quite like it. Higher-res: http://www.gwpjr.net/pictures/?display=Misc/IMG00320-20110616-1047.jpg http://www.gwpjr.net/pictures/?display=Misc/IMG00321-20110616-1048.jpg I looks for all the world like two properly struck coins got stuck, one to the bottom die and one to the top and then were pressed together. Because of this, my first thought was that it was a press job. Three things that make m think it isn't a fake: First, the reverse doesn't show any indication that it was distorted by pressing two coins together. Second, the coin appears to be ever so slightly off-center. This is most evident when looking at the border on the reverse. Third, the obverse is slightly inset while the rim is still intact. Thoughts?
Good call on the capped die, I think you are right. The reverse of another coin is plainly visible on the obverse, although not the other way around. I still can't wrap my head around exactly how something like this would happen mechanically.
Struck through a very late stage capped die. For the sake of argument let's say the reverse was the anvil die and obverse was the hammer die. A coin got stuck to the obverse die. The next few coins struck would be what were called full brockages with a raised image of the reverse and an incuse image of the reverse. As the dies continue to strike coins the coin stuck to the obv die spreads and wraps around the die. Coins struck now show a normal reverse and an enlarged, distorted, and slightly incuse image of the reverse. As the die keeps pounding the metal covering the die face gets thinner and thinner, the design of the obverse begins to show through. now what you have is a coin like the one in the OP. The reverse is normal, and obverse design shows but not well, and there are still faint traces of that reversed enlarged reverse. If it keeps striking coins eventually the obverse will be almost normal but it will look like it was struck through a layer of metal foil. (Which frankly it was that being all that was left of the intervening coin.)
It looks like it was stuck through a late stage die cap, but the incuse image of the reverse on the obverse seems a little too distinct. Other examples of this type of error don't seem to have the same distinct impression on the obverse. E Pluribus Unum is quite readable, although slightly askew and stretched. Could this be a blend of errors, or am I off base entirely? Any help in valuing this coin would be greatly appreciated as well.
