Odd Sounding US Halves

Discussion in 'Coin Roll Hunting' started by Steven Sander, Feb 11, 2018.

  1. Steven Sander

    Steven Sander New Member

    Hello fellow coin roll hunters. I recently came across two odd halves while coin roll hunting. While searching, I do and edge search followed by a date/mint mark search and lastly a drop test onto the pile of coins. Right or wrong, that's how my wife and I search halves. Two of them recently found have a higher pitch sound when dropped. One is a 1979 plain and the other is a 1973 plain. We have found, in the past, two of those magician trick halves. Those had a lower dull hollow sound when dropped. I did try to separate these two most recent higher pitch halves by shaking them in a Tupperware dish much like I did with the other magician coins but to no avail. Does anyone know why these two would sound so much different then a regular half dollar? They both have a clad copper edge so they can't be silver. Thanks in advance.
    Steve
     
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  3. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

    Perhaps they are on a thicker or thinner planchet? Have you weighed them?
     
  4. Steven Sander

    Steven Sander New Member

    The 1973 weighs: 9 grams or .3 ounces
    The 1979 weighs: 9 grams or .3 ounces
    I guess the next step would be to measure thickness?
     
  5. -jeffB

    -jeffB Greshams LEO Supporter

    That's certainly very light. Do they look more weakly struck than a typical half?

    Welcome to CoinTalk!
     
  6. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    They sound different from all that dropping and rattling around in Tupperware.
     
  7. Steven Sander

    Steven Sander New Member

    No, but I used a digital kitchen scale. Im betting its not as accurate as it needs to be for this purpose. thanks though.
     
  8. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

    A normal clad half should weigh 11.34oz. Those are pretty light.
     
  9. Wheatmaster101

    Wheatmaster101 U.S. Cent Collector

    Can you post pictures of then? Do they look different from other halves?
     
  10. Wheatmaster101

    Wheatmaster101 U.S. Cent Collector

    Should be .441oz or 12.5 g
     
  11. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

    90% Silver would be 12.5g but OPs coins are 73 and 79, so both clad, which is 11.34g
     
  12. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

  13. Wheatmaster101

    Wheatmaster101 U.S. Cent Collector

    Oh my fault, but i was really confused about your initial claim of 11.34oz. That would be a darn big coin o_O
     
  14. Steven Sander

    Steven Sander New Member

    Admittedly the 1973 is kinda crap but it sounds exactly like the 1979
     

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  15. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

    That 73 is enviromentally damaged. What is the thickness of the 79 compared to a normal half?
     
  16. Steven Sander

    Steven Sander New Member

    I don't have a caliper with me at home to measure thickness. It'll have to wait. Maybe these are just anomalies.
     
  17. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

    You can just do a side-by-side comparison for thickness.
     
  18. Dougmeister

    Dougmeister Well-Known Member

    I was gonna say that one or both could be "magician's coins", but I don't see any tell-tale seams in your pics...
     
  19. paddyman98

    paddyman98 I'm a professional expert in specializing! Supporter

    Example from my collection -
    3840148-002.JPG
     
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  20. man2004

    man2004 Active Member

    I wonder how many of these thin planchet coins get put back in rolls - certainly not a 67! I have "heard" a few coins that have a strange pitch too. But, I've put them back in the roll after seeing the date "70-something". Oops!
     
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