Question about coins found in father's belongings

95 5 what?

 

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I'd have to estimate its chances at being the real deal kind of low, sad to say. The second 4 is NOT encouraging, to me. I'd want the two 4's to be utterly identical in order to be more hopeful about it. The second one being a bit smaller, and the dark spot inside it, hurt its chances.

That's the bad news.

The semi-good news is that you still have a great story and one of the best executed fakes seen in some time.

OTOH, it could be just a freakishly damaged real one, and wouldn't THAT be a knee-slapper?

 

Copper cents are 95/5. 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc.
Steel cents are 99% steel with a thin layer of zinc.
If yours is a steel 1944, 95/5 is not good.
I know you said you weighed it. Did he weigh it?

 

Should have taken the $500.

 

I hesitate to even mention this, because ALL zinc-plated steel cents have unusual edges, but have you examined the edge for evidence of a seam? I ask because the magnetism shouldn't be there for a copper coin. A magnetic IMPLANT???

 

I don’t even know if this guy knew his but from a hole in the ground. I’m going to see another coin dealer and see what happens

 

Cents that are 95/5 don't stick to a magnet and don't weigh that. End of story.

C'est fini.

 

This is SO important a matter that more in-the-hand expert input is ALWAYS going to be worth the effort. Look at it this way - pay close attention to EVERYTHING you learn in this process, and you WILL have a book in you. I'd buy it.

 

If he offered $500, I'd say submit it for certification, possibly at the Texas show mentioned earlier.

 

95 and 5 what? A copper planchet is 95% copper and 5% zinc. A 1943 planchet should be Iron and Zinc. XRF only penetrates a short distance under the surface, so I would expect a true 1943 planchet to be heavy on the zinc side with some iron. 1943 planchets were plated prior to punching the blanks so you should get a much higher iron content if the edge was measured (depending on how wide the beam is).

Remember what I said about how a handheld XRF works and watch how the next shop checks it.

 

Take it to an expert. Not just a random shop, but someone who has the skill set to be able to tell you what it is.

 

Yes, but this is where the doing is harder than the saying. Few coin dealers out there will ADMIT when they're out of their element. Don't know about where other guys are, but where I live, once you get past the con men, and the gold stealers, the pickings get slim. In central PA, I'd recommend about a dozen coin CLUBS before I'd recommend ANY coin DEALER.

 

I am not sure an offer was made.
Let's say he examined this thing and felt it was the real deal.
It's a $75,000 coin. He's not going to let that walk out the door if he just tried to steal it for $500. I would try to be the middle man and broker a deal for a percentage. Did he weigh it? 95/5 tells him it is plated over copper doesn't it?
Why would he want that?

 

This'll illustrate how cynical I am about coin dealers - when I read the $500 offer story, my mind immediately just assumed that the offerer knew it was bogus but he had a "mark" in mind that he could con for even more. And this illustrates my opinion of the typical local B&M coin dealer. (BTW, my opinion of Internet ones is FAR lower.)


"I buy from dead people."

 

Take the coin to U.S. Coins off the Katy freeway. They are just outside the loop. They can tell you if it is real and will offer you a fair price. There is also the 61st Houston Annual Coin Show in Conroe at the Lone Star Convention Center January 19-20. U.S. Coins would be your best bet. Those guys handle 7 figure coins. They are the coin shop that advertises on the back of PCGS's price guide.

 

U.S. Coins IS a high standards dealer. A real good one. A bit above my "pay grade" sometimes, but I can admire from their "show presence".