1797 Cartwheel Penny - Strange!

Discussion in 'What's it Worth' started by fragin, Sep 8, 2008.

  1. fragin

    fragin New Member

    Hi,

    I'm new to this site and have recently been given some coins so will probably be driving you all mad soon, knowing very little about them!

    The coin I am intrigued about today is a 1797 Cartwheel Penny which is in reasonably good condition. I'll try to post a picture soon. The strange thing about it is it unscrews and is hollow! Inside it is a 1797 halfpenny? which is also in good condition and also unscrews. It is identical in every way to a 'proper' penny (of which I also have a couple...).

    I've tried googling it and come up with absolutely nothing! Does anyone know what it is, what it would have been used for and what it is worth?

    Appreciate any help I can get....

    Gin
     
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  3. nohope587

    nohope587 Senior Member

    Sounds like a magicians coin.
    The other possibility is is a coin box, often gold coins were hidden inside a hollowed out copper one. I am sure the experts will be along soon to correct me...
     
  4. rzage

    rzage What Goes Around Comes Around .

    Sounds like one of them Russian toy Bears 1 inside another and so on and so on , cool . Must be worth something . JMO
    rzage
     
  5. Don Myers

    Don Myers New Member

    I have two of the 1797 half-pennies and two of the 1797 pennies. None of mine unscrew.
     
  6. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    You're correct, it's a novelty that someone has made.
     
  7. Treashunt

    Treashunt The Other Frank

    In the US back in the early to late 19th century Trade dollars were sometimes hollowed out, they are commonly referred to as opium dollars.

    Perhaps for smuggling the drugs into the country?
     
  8. Ardatirion

    Ardatirion Où est mon poisson

    They were pretty much legal, if I recall correctly So the only reason to smuggle them would be to avoid the import taxes. And you aren't going to be importing much in a hollowed out coin.

    Its rumored that hollowed out cartwheel pennies and even larger hollowed two-pennies were used by spies to smuggle messages during the Napoleonic wars. Probably just popular myth though.
     
  9. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    People used to carry their opium in them, used much like a snuff box would be. And yes, opium was legal.
     
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