Off-Metal Nickel Error?

hyf88

Picked this up at a local flea market this morning for a pretty low price. The gentleman had it in a case with some common date wheat pennies in a 2x2 labeled "Off Metal Nickel Error" next to a bunch of used VHS tapes. Seems like it's the real deal but just wanted to get a few opinions to see if I wasted $20 or not. Does this appear to be authentic?

Reverse

Obverse

ledzep87

Could you post a pic of the edge.

Is it the same size as a normal nickel?

thecointrader

I'm not an expert in this area, but the coin looks acid treated to me. What is the weight of the piece?

Is the planchet unusually thin? If so, I would be suspicious.


thecointrader

yellowjacket

Looks like a nickel on cent planchet (found in the parking lot).

It's genuine from the picture (size and color appear right).

$20.00 may be the proper price for the error and condition.

yellowjacket

Weigh the coin to see if it matches the weight of a cent planchet.

1980: 95% copper, 5% zinc, 3.11 grams.

MrSpud

I once saw a similar nickel at a flea market that was priced at about $10. Only it was uncirculated and brown copper in color. The only thing is it was in a binder right next to a "spooned" coin that looked like someone was going to make a ring but stopped after they flattenned the edge of the coin. Both coins were in 2X2's with the word "error" on them. I figured since the spooned coin isn't a real error that the nickel on the cent planchet wasn't a real error either. I figured someone, perhaps the "spooner", had maybe ground down the rim of the coin down to the size of of a cent and then AT'd it to resemble brown copper. So I didn't buy the coin. A few months later a friend of mine at the coin club I belong to brought in a NGC slabbed Unc. Nickel on Cent planchet. He said he cherrypicked it at the flea market and that he took a chance and bought it and sent it in for authentication and slabbing. It was the same coin and is worth a couple of hundred dollars.

AlixTCat

Right out of a nickel slot machine.]

Jonathan

jonathanb

There is absolutely no question that that's an authentic nickel struck on a cent planchet. Anyone who thinks otherwise should try to justify their opinions.

It's worth about $100-$150 in that condition.

hyf88

Thanks very much for the information, gang!

Ledzep, I'll try to take a picture of the rim but as I'm struggling to learn macro photography the pics might be lousy. I did weigh it and it came out at 3.1 grams, which would put it in the correct weight range. Just glad it is real. I guess you never know what will show up at the flea market, most of the time it's guys selling common-date cleaned Morgan dollars for $50 each.

seanq

When I saw the date I suspected as much, but now that you have the weight, I concur that you have a 100% genuine nickel on a cent planchet. By far the most common date for this error is 1980-P, I've read the story that an entire hopper of cent planchets was fed into the wrong dies.

In that condition it is about a $100 coin, though recently I've seen some certified examples of the date sell for much more.


Sean Reynolds

GoldenEyeNumismatics

possibly on a cent planchet, but it doesn't look copper colored enough to be on a cent planchet