Magic prop quarter? Or mint error?

Hello,

So my son has recently taken an interest in coins and found this quarter. I am assuming it is a magic prop or something along those lines. As I can't think of a reason why this would be a mint error.

The back of the quarter is gone and slightly hollowed out. Leaving a spiral engraved pattern and a copper look to the hollowed out recess.

So what am I looking at and is it a mint error?

 

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Welcome to CT!

Your assumption is extremely accurate!

 

Magician's coin.

 

Welcome to the neighborhood!

Yes, it appears that someone was attempting to create a "magician's coin" but was caught in the process by his boss at the machine shop and was promptly fired. As a result he never got a chance to finish the other quarter.

Chris

 

Definitely an altered quarter. Not a mint error at all.

Suggestion.. There is a Mint Errors forum on CoinTalk.. Create any future threads there instead of the What's it Worth forum. Worry about what you have first. Damaged coins have no premium. And minor mint errors have very little or no premium at all.
Again.. Just a suggestion. I'm not trying to be bossy.

 

Mr. P. have you ever considered changing your custom title to "Traffic Control Monitor"?

Chris

 

Did you just find this piece of the quarter or did you get the other half with it as well?

 

No worries! Good suggestion. Didn't know to follow that information path!

 

Just this half. I thought maybe it had been carved out to hide a dime but the dime was too thick to fit flush inside the cavity.

 

usually it would be to marry a completely different coin to it, or to put two heads or two tails together, or as a spy coin type thing for a small hiding spot inside.

 

It's a magicians coin as previously stated. There are usually two pieces to this type of coin. That creates a two headed coin or a coin with two reverses. Glad he's taking an interest in coins and welcome to CT.