1936 Indian Head Nickle problem

I have a 1936 Indian Head Nickel that is the same size of a quarter. I can not find anything any where that has information on it. I took it to my local coin dealer to see if he had any information on it and his reply was that he had never seen anything like it in all his years of business. When I ask him if I should have it certified or anything his reply was that if I wanted to lose the $25.00 or so I could. Not much help there.

So my question is. What have I got?

I am attaching a scan of the coin (along with a actual 1936 Indian Head coin I have) so that you can see the coin in question.

 

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Is the thickness of the normal coin the same as the thickness of the abnormal coin?

 

yes the thickness is the same. I had thought that the coin may have been pressed. but in examination the high points are still good and the coin is still completely round.

 

That is very interesting, and a very nice coin you got there. Basically, sending it in to a TPG, they will know what it is, and then you could find its value.

Welcome to the forum!

 

unfortunatly i only have a postal scale and it isn't accurate enough to get a percise weight. I weighed a quarter (by my scale 5grams) the questionable coin (5grams) and another 1936 nickel (5grams).

Thanks for your thoughts. I don't know a lot (actually very little) about coins (but learning fast).

I guess I will send it to be checked. (I just hope I don't lose too much with the cost of having it certified).

Thanks again for your help

 

If it is a wrong planchet error, wouldn't nickel be smaller, with a blank boarder rim space?

As you can see, the nickel takes up the whole planchet, but if it were a "planchet error", then it would only take up part of the planchet, right?

I do not know for sure, I am still learning

 

I'd like to see a pic of the nickel in question with a quarter on one side and the other Buffalo on the other. That way I can tell the true size of the nickel in question. The pics don't show this. :kewl: Also, there should be two pics, obverse & reverse, with the same references as stated above.

Ribbit

 

Is the nickel the full size of a quarter? Lay the buffalo on top of a quarter, and see how much of the quarter sticks out?

The 2X2 you are using, I am guessing, is a quarter sized 2X2, right? Well, there is a lot of extra space around the container. Take better pics

 

okay in order:
can't be a broad strike, or there would be excess metal fro the central devices to the rim; also, it would be thinner than usual.
2) off metal: nope, since you can't have a larger planchet in a small (coin) die;
3) as large as a quarter? Unless it was a) fake; or b) a fake.

since it can't possibly be real, I have to agree with the dealer, it can't be real.


Half time is almost over or I'd could go on for another few hundred words as to why it is NG. Perhaps later.
[Jets are up! 34 to 0, at half time over Arizona.
Thankfully Kurt Warner stinks today. so, we love Warner!]

 

I was wondering about that some time ago. I saw a nickel 3 cent piece that was struck on a planchet larger than a normal 3 cent piece and I wondered how that could happen? Was it possible back then?

Here are some great examples of wrong planchet strikes, that are all struck on a smaller planchet:

http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=139&Lot_No=8432

http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=107&Lot_No=8004

No pics but they are described as what was struck on what type of planchet and they were all smaller than what was being struck.

Ribbit

 

Ok, here are the scans requested. (Best I could get)

I can't get a jewelry store today as it is a sunday

as you can see it is just a hair smaller then the quarter. but noticably larger than the nickel.

 

Perfect!

The Indian & Buffalo are both bigger than they should be, so it has to be a novelty item or counterfeit (IMO). I've never seen anything like it so unless it's common, it's possibly worth something to a counterfeit collector.

Ribbit

Ps: Where's Hobo when you need him?

 

I think Toad is right Although it could be a novelty item, doesn't mean it is worthless

 

You say coin, but what I was referring to was the actual graphics on the coin. The Indian & Buffalo are considerably bigger so unless the die itself was enlarged, this cannot happen, unless you squish a coin after minting, which then it would just be a squished coin and not an error.

Ribbit

 

I wonder if that's what a nickel would look like if you put it in a vice.