Hi all, Just like to start off by saying I'm no collector of any coins by any stretch of the imagination. I'm merely a "picker" who likes to lurk on the Ancient Coin Board. Anyway, we found what appear to be blank coin planchets(?) within an old jewelry box among the contents found within a storage locker auction unit. We almost tossed them in the junk pile but thought to ask a question or two first before doing anything. Your thoughts on what these items are and their possible era made? The dime was placed near each for scale size comparisons and an image of both sides of the items are shown. Thank you all so much for your time, thoughts and replies. Kind Regards
I'm not going to confirm there blank U.S planchets but they look like it to me especially the possible blank cents,interesting.
Thanks for your reply and thoughts. I assume the "possible blank cents" are the five pieces at bottom? Sorry, not versed in this field whatsoever. Most of the items found within the unit date from the first half of the 20th C. I'm not implying these are from that era, just saying that nearly nothing within the united dated past the 1950s - 1960s.
He's saying they look like the round metal components of an electrical junction box that you'd remove to run wires through. They resemble 'slugs' or in this case planchets.
Electric junction box punch-outs are always painted - none of those pictured are. So that kind of rules that out. By definition they are not planchets though because none of them have been upset, run through the upset mill in other words. But they could all be be blanks - and yeah that's a fine line but it is an important distinction. The only way I know of to determine if they are blanks or not would be to accurately measure and weigh each one. Once you have that information then you can search for coins with those specifications and reasonably know if they are blanks or not. If they are blanks, yeah they're collectible, but they have little if any value to speak of unless some of them are silver. Even then value would only be melt value. It doesn't really look like any are silver but it's possible.
Here is mine, and a size comparison I did years ago, thinking it might be a foreign blank planchet. I was told on another forum that it's some kind of knockout or punch out. Not necessarily electrical. Note the poor quality of the metal, and the rounded edge on one side, and a sharp edge on the other, along with a hint of a "rim". It seems like this is exactly like what OP posted, the copper-colored ones anyway.
Also remember that the U S mint coined coinage for other governments. So one would need to do their homework to rule out any world coins blanks.
Welcome to CT. I believe another way to tell if they are blanks (not planchets as @GDJMSP pointed out) is to find a jeweler that has a metal tester to see what the metal content is. Matching size, weight, and metal would pretty much sum it up.
Yeah it's possible yours, and maybe some of the OP's are punch-outs of some kind. But its also equally possible they are blanks for coins. Personally I've never seen copper punch-outs as the metal is too expensive for stuff like that, and it also corrodes way, way too easily for things of that purpose, but it's possible.
I know it's etsy, but it's the first place I found it on an internet search, they make them for crafting/tagging, hobby on many different shapes form round, oval, square, triangle ect. with or without a hole. the area of product is called "copper stamping blanks". same kind of way a washer would be made really except withotu the center hole being punched. depends on what you'd do with them if you wanted completely finished, one side finished, two sidefinished, with edge finish, completely polished, ect. https://www.etsy.com/listing/693797...bbXBDJ-V9ochNh66wRtseS4QVqJLDWtQaAtkKEALw_wcB i think the silver rusty one are galvanized steel knockouts from a junction box, and probably found on grounds, for the copper/brass ones, they are most likely crafting discs, but I'd say weigh and measure and maybe they fall into spec with cent blanks. it would need to fall into spec for a countries coin though for it to be legit.
I'd like to thank you ALL so much for the wonderful info and thoughts you all so kindly provided, most appreciated! It looks like I have a lot to sift through.
My rough measurements indicate they are about 27mm in diameter. A little below the Large Cent (27.5-28mm) and above the Half Cent (23mm) after being given an edge. While alternatives are most likely, foreign coins would be more likely if my measurements are close and these are blanks. dime (5.5" on my big screen) and subject (7.75" on my big screen)
I noticed a few had the "typical" tab (that attached to the electrical box that was punched out) but not all. Looks like a hodge-podge of curious items. Toss the obvious "blanks" with the tell-tale tabs on them and weigh each of the others for the record if you are going to keep them. Not much value in them unless they are silver as one noted above. Welcome to coin Talk and come back again with curiosities.
