Counterfeit 1964 D Nickel

MedalCollector

I thought this was really interesting. It weighs much less than a normal nickel, though I have no way to
measure it accurately. It is made out of some type of magnetic metal and has pretty good details for a counterfeit
if that is what this really is. Now, here is the pic, and a pic of a real nickel for comparison.

braddick

That's cool.
Makes me wonder why the counterfeiter bothered to make it a Denver issue?

STONE

Not necessarily a counterfeit.

Could be one of several options, but the most obvious I can think of is that it was struck on a planchet of a different metal composition.
This could have been a test/trial/pattern strike on a different planchet composition, or this planchet was originally suppose to be used
to strike a foreign denomination but subsequently ended up in the Jefferson Nickel blank bin!

Go out and buy a scale to weigh this...it is interesting!

DIMEMAN

What Stone said.

Why in the world would anyone want to fake a 64-D nickel!!

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STONE

<< <i>What Stone said.

Why in the world would anyone want to fake a 64-D nickel!! >>


While just a nickel, lots of weird coins that wouldn't seem economically viable, have been counterfeited in the past.
For instance, I have in my possession a 1967 Quarter. It isn't silver, and a quarter in 1967 still only had limited purchasing power!

If it can be done, someone will probably attempt it!

That said, I'm not defending my original statement, although it is more likely of the two options (counterfeit (OP), or trial/pattern strike (Me))

SamByrd

its almost for sure a coin that was struck on wrong metal intended for a foreign coin.

You may have a very desirable coin there.

it needs to be looked at by an expert in errors and then certified.

MedalCollector

Originally, I had thought that it was either a counterfeit, or some type of weird post-mint alteration.
The reason is there is some extra metal below Monticello and in the I of Pluribus. In addition, the edge has
has deep line/scratch. It just doesnt seem 'right'. Here are the pictures:

MedalCollector

I'd also like to add, and I can't believe I totally omitted it from the original post, but it is much thinner than a normal nickel.

johnny9434

im wondering if the supposed counterfiter was practicing or honing thier skills for something else and figured no one would catch onto that. just wondering is all

MsMorrisine

25% nickel is 25% magnetic material

2ltdjorn

Could it be a Henning Nickel? He was known to counterfeit some odd denominations.

EXOJUNKIE

A lot of weird things happened to coins in 1964. There are many 1964 off-metals including quite a few "orphan" off-metals, meaning anomalous pieces that don't attribute to any particular foreign country.

I agree with others that you should get it checked out and not part with it until you're sure what it is. Maybe Fred W. or Mike D. will weigh in soon with their opinions.

Good luck with it. It is a neat find no matter what it turns out to be!

mkman123

maybe the chinese are honing their nickel counterfeiting skills! Doesn't raise big red flags

WoodenJefferson

Well, that certainly is interesting...it has some of the hallmarks of a cast copy but the fields are too smooth. I got a feeling this mounted into something, but why a nickel?

The truth is out there...

Zrider

well..you just have to make 2000 of em to get a hundred bucks..

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OldEastside

The edge makes me think its a magicians or conmans nickel IMO

Steve

WoodenJefferson

1964...Cold War spy nickel to smuggle micro-film.

CaptHenway

I once saw a "squirting nickel" trick coin that had been cut in half, hollowed out, soldered back together, and given a small hole. You filled it with water, held it out towards somebody and squeezed it hard which caused the water to squirt out.

leothelyon

I need to get some nitric acid to test this one. It's the most brilliant, lustrous white copper-nickel
coin in my set. And compares to a few of my other war nickels and proofs. Someday soon........




Leo

Frankcoins

Could have been struck on an electrical box knockout. Looks US Mint made.

Frankcoins

I had a 1946-s Nickel that looked like that in my shop about 15 years ago. Everyone told me I was dreaming thinking it might be struck on a
wartime planchet. Finally found a nickel expert who agreed me and happily took it home for $100.

leothelyon

I'm probably dreaming but don't really keep it under lock and key. Was looking through my extras last
couple days, I've had this coin for a number of years. I just can't get over how lustrous white it is. And it's
prooflike and resides in an ANACS. Did you ever have your coin nitric acid tested Frank?

Frankcoins

<< <i>I'm probably dreaming but don't really keep it under lock and key. Was looking through my extras last
couple days, I've had this coin for a number of years. I just can't get over how lustrous white it is. And it's
prooflike and resides in an ANACS. Did you ever have your coin nitric acid tested Frank? >>



No, but NO acid tests should be done on coins with numismatic value. The buyer was convinced it
was a wartime alloy by SMELLING it.

GrumpyEd

<< <i>The edge makes me think its a magicians or conmans nickel IMO >>



I'm wondering the same.
Maybe the thin sections glued over something magnet.
But sort of strange that it's so thin.


Is the orientation correct?
I'd look the edges over really close.
If you're sure there's no seam it might be worth sending it in.

MedalCollector

THanks for all of the replies, opinions and ideas! I just have one question. What would account for the
bumps under Monticello and in the I of Pluribus? I understand the potential for an off metal,
but if this is the case, what are the bumps?
Ed, the orientation is correct. I will look that the edge closer tomorrow! From what I remember the edge
just looked like one of those cheap, cast coins, and that was one of the reasons why I had thought it
counterfeit.

errormaven

Judging from the photo of the edge, I would guess that this is a sandwich that was assembled outside the Mint. The back of one nickel and the front of another nickel were ground off. Then a circular wafer of steel or pure nickel was placed between the obverse and reverse layers and the three were bonded together with solder or glue.

Right now I'm studying a half dollar that seems to have been created in a similar fashion, although the center of the oreo is not magnetic.

Snowman24

how is the rotation Goldenegg ??

Edscoin

<< <i>

<< <i>I'm probably dreaming but don't really keep it under lock and key. Was looking through my extras last
couple days, I've had this coin for a number of years. I just can't get over how lustrous white it is. And it's
prooflike and resides in an ANACS. Did you ever have your coin nitric acid tested Frank? >>



No, but NO acid tests should be done on coins with numismatic value. The buyer was convinced it
was a wartime alloy by SMELLING it. >>


The original sniffer!

MedalCollector

<< <i>Judging from the photo of the edge, I would guess that this is a sandwich that was assembled outside the Mint. The back of one nickel and the front of another nickel were ground off. Then a circular wafer of steel or pure nickel was placed between the obverse and reverse layers and the three were bonded together with solder or glue. >>



Yep. I was looking at it last night and that's what it looked to be. I had not noticed it before then. It's layered pretty well and tough to see the difference in the color of the metals. Do you have any idea what they may have been used for?





<< <i>how is the rotation Goldenegg ?? >>



The rotation is as it should be with a regular nickel.

bronco2078

Maybe it was used for some sort of trick where a coin needed to be magnetic.

What if it was sawed in half hollowed out and a piece of steel was put inside? Maybe a trick could be done with a magnetic wand making a coin disappear.

errormaven

That would be my guess, some kind of magician's coin. If you go to online magic supply stores, you'll see magnetic coins for sale. Most of these seem to involve inserting a plug of steel or a magnetic pellet into the coin through its edge and then sealing up the hole. But there's no reason why other techniques couldn't be employed.

errormaven

Here's the other coin I was talking about:

http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=132278&whichpage=1

MedalCollector

Thanks a lot for the info Mike! I kind of wanted it to be a counterfeit, but it's still very interesting.
Leo, good luck with the 1946.