Odd 1980-P Quarter?

I have a question about an odd quarter I received. As many quarters do, this one dropped into my life from a Coke machine. I knew something was different about it from the minute it hit the coin tray. The sound wasn't quite right, at first I thought the machine had dropped a nickle instead. It is a 1980-P quarter but it is really shiny (picture of it compared to a 1982 clad quarter). It also feels odd--very, very smooth, almost "wet". It weighs about 0.3 grams less than other quarters from around the same date (I work in a lab with an analytical scale--one of the perks of being a scientist). It definitely isn't silver and when dropped on a desk, it doesn't have that familiar silver coin ring (and it doesn't sound like a normal clad coin either--almost "tinny"). Any thoughts? If a considerable amount of the cladding was removed, would it account for the sound and visual differences?

 

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can you upload a picture of it?

 

possibly

How do I get the image to show? Will it appear when I preview the post?

 

too funny

I guess I answered my own question. I didn't think it was going to work.

 

is the coin coper looking? if so it may be an error where the clad "silver" layer has peeled off, the pictures sure look red!

 

Probably polished. Polishing removes some surface metal which would account for the weight difference and the shiny wet look.

 

not copper looking

No, sorry, the red comes from the book I had them on while taking the photo--not a great idea in retrospect. The coin is quite reflective and very bright/shiny (almost like uncirculated silver). Maybe this pic will be better. I might try polishing a clad on a polishing wheel to see if that will alter its sound qualities as well as making it shiny.

 

There are several things that can cause each of the conditions you describe
but the most likely candidate for the wet feeling is a mercury plating. I'm
guessing the edge of the coins is silver colored also. If not can you see the
copper core?

 

Mercury plating???? I sure hope not. If so, that makes it toxic to even touch

Great idea, but I don't think this is the case. Plating would make the coin weigh more, not less, particularly with something as heavy as mercury.

Another thought is that it was struck on a foreign planchet.

 

good suggestions

I hope it isn't a type of mercury plating. How common would something like that be for a coin? Why would someone do that? The ends are smoothed somewhat, but I think I can see a little copper showing in the ridges, but it is hard to tell.

I never thought that it might have been struck on a foreign planchett--that is an excellent suggestion. That might explain the weight and unusual "sound" characteristics. I guess that wouldn't be very common, so I will keep it around instead of feeding it back into the Coke machine (although, that would be a good test of its properties, if a vending machine rejects it, it just might be a foreign planchett!).

 

well, you got it out of the coke machine, didn't you? I guess the machine does accept it then.....

 

It could have been dipped in Acid to take off one layer of metal....or it could been a fake...what would a lead quarter weigh??...I know that sounds silly but if I was going to start faking coins I would start with common coins that no one would think of being fakes.

Speedy

 

Hmm, Speedy...

...Good to see you haven't put much thought into it! Remind me not to buy from you on Ebay! Actually, I think you are kind of right about one thing. It seems counterfeiters are going after more common coins these days. I saw a few questionable 1921 Morgans on ebay for sell out of China. With silver relatively cheap, I bet they could turn out tons using real silver and still make a profit.

I do wonder if someone stripped and plated it with something to enhance its shine (hopefully not a mercury compound as someone suggested!).

Thanks for everyone's input.

 

Now don't get me wrong....I would never fake a coin...I was just saying what has happened to me...I have gotten common coins that have been fakes.

Speedy

 

All in good fun.

Just kidding. I think you also make a good point--to catch a theif, you have to think like a thief! Helps keep one step ahead.

 

I found a quarter like the one to the right of the picture you put up. Do you know anything about it?

 

Wow, you've really dug up an old thread.
Anyway, it's probably PMD. Almost always is.

 

speaking of dug, probably what happened to your coin Ale. Dug out of the ground.

 

Almost looks like it was sandblasted with a micro sandblasting unit.

 

I going to have to bump an ancient thread once again as I have also found one of these. It matches the description of the original poster exactly, except I don't have the means to take precise weight measurements. Since there seem to be multiples of these popping up does that lend credence to the counterfeit theory?