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Does anyone know anything about test coins?

ormandhormandh Posts: 3,111 ✭✭✭
in World & Ancient Coins Forum
I purchased a lot of coins today which included this nickel test coin from The International Nickel Company, Inc. Now I realize that this is not a coin, BUT this is the same company which produced this Pattern coin in the same year as seen in this link. Click me!

I probably would not think much more about the token except for the fact that it is the same diameter as a US and Canadian quarter. I was hoping that someone has seen this before. Just a stab in the dark. In any case, I think that it is very cool.

Here are the pics. -Dan
image
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Numismasource ebay store

Comments

  • savoyspecialsavoyspecial Posts: 7,310 ✭✭✭✭
    you will recall that this was around the time when the U.S. was going from silver to clad coinage, so i suspect it is a test piece perhaps to see how the metals would alloy or perhaps for the vending machine industry

    DuPont also had test pieces from the same time period


    www.brunkauctions.com

  • 1960NYGiants1960NYGiants Posts: 3,532 ✭✭✭✭
    Hi Dan -

    Interesting piece that I know nothing about. However, I do know that the Canadian Test Tokens are highly collectible and are included in the Charlton catalogue. Your piece is not in the catalogue. I suspect it was made for the US vending market. What are its diameter and weight?

    Gene

    Life member #369 of the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association
    Member of Canadian Association of Token Collectors

    Collector of:
    Canadian coins and pre-confederation tokens
    Darkside proof/mint sets dated 1960
    My Ebay
  • Aegis3Aegis3 Posts: 2,912 ✭✭✭
    That piece is listed as a semi-private pattern in Pollock's pattern opus. The unnumbered pieces are listed as P-5195 to P-5212 (some numbers are omitted, there are seven listings), depending on the metallic composition. I'd have to check what the values are. Maybe check the Jules Reiver January 2006 sale if you have access to the Heritage archives. That's the most likely recent auction that may have had some of these.
    --

    Ed. S.

    (EJS)
  • ormandhormandh Posts: 3,111 ✭✭✭
    It is 5.7g and 24mm. -Dan
    Numismasource ebay store
  • Aegis3Aegis3 Posts: 2,912 ✭✭✭
    If you haven't already, you may want to ask on the US coin forum.

    A few corrections. First, the Reiver sale did not have any of this design. Bowers and Merena's May 1994 sale had a large set of these. Of course, that sale is not online, and most lots of the set were not plated. The weight does not tell us by itself what the composition is; there are a few in the above sale which had similar weights to yours, but different compositions. I would check to see if it's magnetic, and if the piece appears clad or homogenous.
    --

    Ed. S.

    (EJS)
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