I haven't posted in awhile. Got busy with camping season and the like. Spending some time with my coins and decided to look this guy up. Is It possible it's a pattern coin? Or just a plain old fake. The surface is heavily pitted and shows some rust under the loop - which tells me it isn't copper. Thoughts? Update: I may have posted prematurely. I didn't think to look at measurements. This thing is waaaaay big. 37-38mm. Looking for my scale to weigh. What are these oversized coins. I have a number of them. A half cent. A Lincoln penny. I have a huge dime. Are they just classroom tools? Or samples? And samples for what?
From Wikipedia 2 cents United States Value (0.02 US dollars) Mass 6.22 g Diameter 23.00 mm Edge plain Composition 95 % copper 5 % tin and zinc Years of minting 1863 (patterns only) 1864–1873 (regular issues) Mint marks None, all struck at Philadelphia Mint Obverse Design Shield, "IN GOD WE TRUST" on banner, date below. Designer James Barton Longacre Design date 1863
It was in my Dad's stuff so, 30+ years? But, it's oversized. So, I know it's not a coin. Still curious what it is and why I have so many. I'll post the other ones to here (unless this is now the wrong forum) after dinner.
Weird. The lines in the upper part of the shield look like they were taken from a mold. Just my thought. I wish it was real for your sake.
Sorry, have no idea. But this is interesting and it is also in the Red Book according to wiki. Maybe something for you to research Fantasy pieces include many struck in the 1860s and 1870s as patterns and sold to numismatists for the sole purpose of raising cash for the mint. This practice ended in the 1880s, when the U.S. Mint enforced regulations to prevent the sale of pattern coins.[6]
Here's the half penny. Again, it's huge. 37-38mm. They both weigh about 26g. I can't seem to find the Lincoln cent and the Roosevelt dime...
No. At 37-38 mm thast would make it the size of a silver dollar. I have no idea who made them, it's only about half the size of the "coaster" replicas. They are 3 inch diameter.