Question about a quarter

This is more of a question but earlier today I came across a rather normal looking 1974 (Philadelphia) quarter. However the sound it makes when dropped against a hard surface doesn't match up to any regular or silver quarter. The edge looks mostly copper but the face and back have the normal (silverish) appearance. Is there a way to tell if it's a fake by the sound?

 

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I find it hard to believe that anyone would counterfeit a quarter.

 

Cents have been counterfieted in mass quantities. Although most would think it isn't worth the gamble it happens all the time. Most of the time with rare coins but it does happen.

As flr the quarter. Please post photos of both sides and the weight.

 

Conducting a stop test is a sure way to damage a coin and it proves nothing. As stated, photos are needed.

Welcome to CT.

 

Not really. An off sound can be suggestive but it is NOT conclusive.

 

I do not have a scale to test the weight however the sound it makes when it hits a solid surface or brushes against another coin is a higher pitch than a regular coin of the same value. I have not tested against the sound of a silver coin, since I used my phone for pics the quality might be bad.

 

This is a link to the sound test between a normal 1994 quarter and the 1974 quarter I had found which should sound the exact same but don't

 

No! It doesn't have to sound the same. The thickness of the coin blanks may vary within certain +/- tolerances. A coin struck in 1974 may have more wear and tear from circulation than a coin struck in 1994. Use a little common sense! ~ Chris

 

Your coin suffered significant damage. The surface is very rough which isn't normal. It may have suffered heat damage, which could have affected the bonding between the clad and copper core layers and that would change the sound.

Generally, sound is a very poor method of characterizing a coin due to variability and subjectivity.

 

So many people with perfect pitch.
Forget about this dropping a quarter/ sound stuff.

 

First, welcome to CT. As other members have mentioned, drop tests and sound are not considered good tests for coins. As @Oldhoopster has posted, your quarter is most like the results of some occurrence that has changed the coin slightly, thus changing the sound. BTW Using Youtube videos in the most part is not advised. Many posters there are just looking for "clicks" and often give erroneous information.

 

Counterfeit nickels wer in the millions.

 

The "sound test" is NOT in any way reliable. Find a scale and check the weight of the coin. You can purchase them in several places, I got one at Amos Advantage and carry it with me all the time to test a coin I have doubts about.
Please DO NOT waste your time or space on CT with "sound tests:

 

Here is my counterfeit quarter. If it is made in China (or somewhere) at 2 cents apiece and spent for .25 cents, there is a profit to be made. The size is correct, but it is over weight.

 

And there is a crime committed.

 

The head on the Eagle looks more like a seagull's head. The side shot looks more like a nickel.

 

Yes that's to show the rim is clearly a fake.
When I got the quarter it was very "shiny". So I looked at it closer, and I realized it
was counterfeit. There are other counterfeits of this exact same type floating around. The year, the die crack. I agree about the eagle however, I believe originally the die was made from a real quarter, but after using the die millions of time it has deteriorated. The obverse looks as if it was made from a legit coin, so why would you engrave the reverse die, when you could make one the same way, easier from a real coin.

 

Hmmm. Maybe not. Look at the cut outs in the bottom of the wings on the fake. Washington's hair is all wrong especially at the bottom. I retract my former belief. That it was created from a real coin. The leaf cluster is wrong.
They did engrave a master die.

 

about 40 years ago, back when i was dealing on the weekends, usually buying on saturdays and selling on sundays (was 14 then ...lol anyways..a guy came up to me with 3 lead (fake)..1964 quarters, 2 quite tarnished, and one shiny but broken in two..i bought em for 1.00 for the 3 for novelty..no longer have em though..so..yeh shouldn't happen, probably never will...but it happened to me...