Magician's Coin?

Here are the pics, and I see some glue, but on the rim of the hollowed out reverse, they left some verbage...

 

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Where did you get that coin?

 

I have a magician's quarter I found in change. Pics when I take 'em.

 

Looks like it’s been around for quite awhile. Neat find.

 

It's the Obverse shell of a spy coin. Any coin can be used. A magician's coin is usually shilled meaning a steel insert is added so it would stick to a magnet.
The shilled shell would be placed over a smaller coin then using a magnet the shell is moved away revealing the hidden coin.

 

Sad to see a 102 year old coin be mutilated like that.

 

Painful isn’t it?

 

The magician coin I have is a two-headed coin

 

Junk box

 

The crud in the center might be old glue. Perhaps the second head fell out.

 

It looks like the nickel was ground down in a similar way to this 1859 cent.



Before you get upset about "ruining an old coin," this was is listed as a Civil War token, and it was done when this cent was only a few years old. The CWT variety code is PA 360 A-Ido. It's a little scarce, but not impossible to find ... at least 20+ years ago. I sold a couple of these when I was dealer. I still have this one.