Okay, so, I found these really cool “steel” pennies on Amazon by “Merrick Mint” and one is gold plated, the other Ruthenium, and the third silver.... I get all of these for $10.95... is it a good buy?
No don't trust those gimmick mint sites it's not worth it your better off buying $11 worth of junk silver than that. But the decision is on you
I ask because I thought they looked cool and I needed a second opinion before I went out and bought something
Keep in mind when you consider material from imitation "mints" that someday a child, grandchild, great grandchild or someone else in your lineage may try to sell this stuff thinking it is real and will not understand when an appraiser tells them it is just junk.
No keep in mind they are considered "damaged" from their originality. but if you like them ..... it's cheaper than searching tons of rolls looking for other people that end up using them as money as they are only worth face value.
If you haven't done so already, I'd highly recommend purchasing a recent edition of R.S. Yeoman's A Guide Book of United States Coins. It is easily one of the best resources a novice collector can have to avoid pitfalls like this. @DarkRage666
MerrickMint adds their "value added" to create novelty items from coins. Of course they are still worth FACE VALUE to the grocery store. But some ppl like the way they look and will pay above face value and the asking price. But to a coin collector, they are now damaged as they have been plated or painted, etc.
These are NOT damaged... if you look on the back they show the Lincoln memorial... these are replicas... thank you all for your input!
you are correct. THIS ONE Example of theirs is a non-monetary tribute. BUT they are well known to take circulated coinage and plate them. on their website they have a bunches of categories, such as Commemorative Coins But they also plate REAL COINS describes as "Genuine U.S. Legal Tender Coins" "Authentic U.S. Statehood Quarters". either way .. either tokens or real coins ... I'm sure you could spend those false token pennies as real currency and no one would know until it hit a collectors hands.
Buy what you like and enjoy your collection. Just realize that others won't value it as much as you do. But that's ok because it's your collection.
