Hey guys, here is the backstory and pictures to follow: So my grandfather passed down all these coins years and years ago. My dad is trying to downsize and is tired of all his crap, so I got enlisted to help. Lots of Mercury Head, Indian Head nickels, beautiful silver dollars (one as old as 1882!), and lots of old foreign money, such as some chinese currency predating communism. Also, some really old stamps and the like. Anyways, found this really odd coin that I think, hopefully, is a double denomination. It is a 1920 Philly Wheat Cent on the head with a Liberty Head nickel reverse. Oddly enough, the penny part is copper and the nickel part is silver or whatever the material might actually be. Take a look: Sorry the penny head is a bit blurry. Taking up–close images with an iPhone is hit or miss. As you can see, the outer rim of the nickel is not present so as to meet the proper dimensions of the penny head. Also, notice the off–center angle of the nickel tail. So what do you experts think? Also, btw, check out this 1891 silver dollar. I think it is particularly beautiful:
The two metals are telling you what it is. Its a PMD magicians coin or similar. It had to have been made by cutting two coins in half and regluing. No value really I am afraid.
Yep, I would guess it is part of some magic trick, where the coin in question would fit into a "shell". Keep up the hunt!
I was very suspicious of the bi–metal. Anyways, check out these images that show the side of the coin. We are talking incredibly thin cuts. I do not know how someone could do it. A shell makes sense, in theory, but I cannot see any obvious imperfections in this con job. Do you think it has any value as a well–done magicians coin? Thanks.
I am sure some value, but coin collectors really wouldn't know what it was. They were made by a metal lathe hollowing out the cent but leaving the edge, then cutting the nickel down in depth and around the edges on the lathe. Then they put the nickel into the hollowed out cent. Tight tolerances, but very doable with machine lathes. Once you get it down, its very easy to crank out 100 very quickly. It is interesting why they used the cent as the hollowed out coin rather than the nickel, but our answer will be the same either way.