I received this unusual coin in change tonight. It is a 1981-D Kennedy half, with a gold eagle on the reverse. It appears to be in at least AU condition if not BU. I can't see any evidence of clad construction on the edge of the coin. It is extremely shiny. What do I have? Is it really silver or was the whole coin plated in a silver color with the gold on the eagle? Even if it's worthless, it's still a cool coin and the price was right. Apologies for the poor quality of the pictures.
It's plated silver with added gold(ish) material overlaid onto the eagle. A marketing trick designed to make the coin appear more valuable than it is making the people selling them rich at the expense of an ill-informed public. It did not come from the mint in that condition. Worth about 50 cents,
I thought it might have been replated. I knew for sure that the gold eagle wasn't stock. Does it appear to be plated with real silver? If so, 50 cents was a bargain for this coin.
Because the thickness of silver plating ranges from .00015" to .00125"; and, like silver plated flatware, adds little (or in this case, no value) to the item. The only "value" this coin has is to the seller, who, praying upon the lack of knowledge a buyer might possess, charges an exuberant amount. The actual worth of this coin is fifty cents... however, I could easily sell it for two bucks at the local flea market.
Because there is still detail on the coin. The thicker the layer of whatever metal is coating the coin the less detail there would be.
ironically the Kennedy 1981-D is a tougher date to find graded MS 66,67 by NGC. ive been looking for one for my registry set for years.
