A lot of my collection falls into that category. Exonumia junkies thrive on that stuff. Why own collections of Mercury dimes where one coin looks just like the next, except for a little ridge of metal or two . . . . ? VAM collectors . . . . even worse. With 20 year old eyesight, you still need a magnifying glass to appreciate the "differences" . . . . . Anyway, here is my oddball. Let's see the oddballs in your collection! Actually, mine is a two-parter. Part One: "The Quarter That Never Was" - Thomas Cremona's design competition pattern.
I tend to like "coins that might have been", but that first one really makes me think "Washington behind bars".
Then this one ought to "trip your trigger" . . . . . It hasn't arrived yet, but it has shipped. Now the USPS needs to fulfill their role. It also fits within the theme of this thread. Z The 1916 Hermon MacNeil Pattern Quarter
Thank you very much for sharing. I also enjoy looking at coins that never were. Here are a few of mine, most handed down. 1792 Washington $10 Gold Eagle (replica). Notice the motto: UNUM E. PLURIBUS. Smithsonian medal combining William and Charles Barber's separate proposals for the Morgan Dollar's potential (but never happened) redesign. 1938 Nickel competition design proposal from Wilhelm and Franz Hejda. 1938 Nickel pattern from Schlag. Finally, the coin that never was, minted for a country that never came to be. Restruck from the defaced dies. The Confederate Cent. Alrighteee.... Thanks for looking!
Aside from the Smithsonian, Grove Minting also has a nice collection of pattern reproductions. One of my favorites is the 1872 Amazonian Dollar. I've got one of these as well. https://groveminting.com/newmarket/...ative-proof-of-the-1872-amazonian-dollar.html The original patterns for most of Grove Minting's commemoratives can be found here. https://groveminting.com/newmarket/content/9-the-originals Z