Here are my two Henning No P 1944s. I just submitted them to ICG for their slab with the Counterfeit label.
If you notice, above the "EN" in the word "CENTS" it even has the same die flaw mark, as well as the die crack and looped R
They also each have that same stratus cloud on the reverse to the left of the dome; the same linear pattern.
Nice Hennings. Here is the other die pairing for 1944 which is the non looped R variety. Another pickup is there is a small die chip dot above the left corner of Montecello. There are reported to be 5 different dates for Hennings with 1944 having two different die marriages. I have been looking for the other 4 dates with no luck. 1939, 1946, 1947 and 1953 are the other years.
Funny how your obverse looks more worn than mine, but your reverse is much sharper than either of mine.
It has been estimated that Henning produced almost a half-million of these nickels in 1954, and nearly 100,000 of them went into circulation. Henning dumped an estimated 200,000 of his nickels in the Cooper River in Cherry Hill before hightailing it out of town and fleeing to Cleveland, Ohio. Only 12,000 of those coins have ever been recovered from that river. Another 200,000 may have been dumped into the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania, none of which were ever found.
This webpage will give you estimates - http://www.numismaticenquirer.com/TNE/Henning Counterfeit Nickel.html
Henning purposely used a worn, circulated coin as a model so they would not be so noticeable and would blend in.
Not a math whiz since in materials alone it cost him 3 1/2 cents to make a nickel. He had to make the dies, buy the metals, make the coins. Then pass the coins in large quantities. I guess after jail and a huge fine all he has left is being a folk hero.
None are really in "mint." There are some in a little better condition, but not many. He wanted his coins to go unnoticed, so he purposely made them look very worn. Unless someone had one right after he made one and put it aside for all these years, almost all the ones left are incredible worn.
I really need to know if Henning made any nickels after he got out of prison. I have a 1964 nickel which bears his Hallmark's and I know that it is a counterfeit nickel but how can it be proven it is a Henning nickel
