Looking for opinions on this coin, specifically on grade, cleaned/uncleaned, die cracks, toning (it's golden), and what I would expect the local coin shop to give me for it. TIA.
I would say AU and possibly cleaned, the die cracks aren't uncommon, but add some "cool" factor. Not sure what a dealer would pay? I'd try to sell it here in the For Sale section.
Could that be a gold plating where they tried to pass the "NO Cents" off as a $5 gold coin back then ???
Yes, it looks like a "racketeer's nickel." Long history of those being plated and passed as $5 gold. Grade--AU details, as it has some light wear, and looks cleaned to me.
Thanks for the comments. The nickel weighs 4.91 grams, a bit underweight but within (at the low end) the range of all of my other liberty nickels. My scale is calibrated.
I'd say it's more yellowish than it is gold, which is why I was asking about toning (had not even considered it being a racketeer). Also, the edge isn't reeded - didn't they add reeded edges to the racketeer nickels? The images above match the in-hand appearence very well.
die crack, maybe on edge of reverse, but would have to see a higher res pic and some different angles to tell by photo. Should be able to tell with a loop in hand. cleaned, I don't see it or at least, not improperly cleaned. But most of these plated that I have seen, the plate or more likely gold leaf, is mostly gone and they do not glitter like gold. After all that said, it does not really look like a gold plate/leaf to me, just tone. Leaf would remain in the deepest margins by the stars and in reeding on face and reverse, and would not have rubbed off as easily.
