Israel 100 Pruta triple strike on feeder finger

desslok

This is by far the most unusual thing I've ever obtained

It's a broken, irregular metal slab roughly 14cm by 7cm (5.5" by 2.25") in size, 2.5mm thick and weighs 172 grams (about 6 oz.) On it you can see three overlapping strikes of Israel 100 Pruta coin dated JE 5715 (1955). The metal is patinated reddish-brown and of unknown metallic composition. Two screw holes can be seen, and one of them is broken. The item is pictured here alongside a normal 1955 100 Pruta coin for reference. It also has a semi-circular indentation that perfectly fits the coin.

The 100 Pruta of 1955 were among the first coins to be struck in the then newly-established Tel Aviv Mint in the early 1950s, using coin presses and dies acquired from Germany, shortly after Israel's declaration of independence in 1948.

I believe this is part of the coin press that got broken off during operation and was hit by the dies. Specifically, based on how the regular coin fits with the shape of the item, I think it is some kind of "feeder finger", a part used to place the blanks on the dies and/or remove them after striking. Of course, it could also have been just a random piece of scrap metal that was lying around the mint and was struck by an employee as "mint sport". Either way, I think it must have been kept as a souvenir by the employees and surfaced after all these years.

What do you think? I'd appreciate any opinions or comments.

Byers

Hi desslok-

Yes you are correct. It’s multistruck on a feeder finger. As of now, there are around 50 known world coins from over 10 countries that were struck on feeder fingers.

Almost 20 years ago, the first issue of Mint Error News had a world coin struck on a feeder finger on the cover.

You can find more info on the 2 website links below in my byline ( mike byers and mint error news)

Here is the first Mint Error News Cover:

Here is another feeder finger article in Mint Error News Magazine online:

desslok

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your reply. I was aware of the examples in your magazines, in fact that is where I learned the term (I've been reading your online publications over the years and I also have a copy of the book in your avatar icon).

The piece I have does not look exactly like the ones you show, which is why I was not certain in my speculation. I don't really know what the coin presses of the 1950s looked like and what parts they contained. I'm very glad to hear you agree with my assumption. I'm thinking of sending it in for grading in one of the major TPGs.

Byers

Hi desslok-

Thanks for the kind words!

They come in different shapes and sizes, depending on the machinery used.

Yours is amazing and is actually the finest one that I have ever seen, in terms of size and strikes.

Congrats!