Copper Barber Dime

Relicman

I need some help on this. I found this "Barber Dime" at an old home site while metal detecting. Thinking it was silver, but just corroded, I began trying to clean it to see a date. The more I cleaned, the more it looked to be made of copper. I stopped cleaning it because it looked so unusual. I think the date is 1912, but am not sure because of the remaining corrosion. The reverse is rotated about 90 degrees from what it should be. The strike seems to be a good detailed authentic Barber dime strike. It weighs 2.3 grams and is exactly dime size. I had the metal tested with a hand held spectrum gun and it tested from 99.8 to 100 percent copper. We tested it in several areas of the front and back. The other small percent registered iron, which I was told could be the corrosion. I talked with two coin shop dealers and both are stumped. I thought it might be a penny blank, but the composition is wrong. I thought it might be struck by the U.S. Mint on a foreign coin blank, but most of those would ordinarily be bronze. So, I'm here seeking help.

Patches

Welcome to the forums! A picture would be worth a thousand words...please try to share it with us for better help.

ricko

Welcome aboard... we definitely would need pictures, obverse and reverse.... Cheers, RickO

cwt

It might be a contemporary counterfeit. Check out in the 1907-S via this link...
link

Even if it turns out be one -- still an interesting coin and highly collectible.

CaptHenway

Agreed. Probably a contemporary counterfeit that somebody got stuck with and just set aside.

Relicman

I have photos of the front and back, but am new to the forum. I tried posting them, but must have done something wrong. I will try again. Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong in trying to post the photos? When you see the photos, I think you will see that it looks to good to be a counterfeit.

Relicman

The quality of that one seems to be what I see in my dime. I agree it could be a counterfeit. I'm still trying to post photos, but am having trouble. I upload and attach the files, but they don't show up.

ms70

You have to host the photos on Photobucket or similar site. Then get the URL, usually an option if you right click the photo or click the photo and it should be in the address bar.

Then come here, click on the little picture frame that appears above where you're posting and enter the URL.

Also if you want you can turn on your PM (private message) function in your profile and I'll send you my e-mail. You can send the pics to me and I'll post them for you. I'll be home for
a little while.

SeattleSlammer

<< <i>It might be a contemporary counterfeit. Check out in the 1907-S via this link...
link

Even if it turns out be one -- still an interesting coin and highly collectible. >>





+1

Relicman

Okay, thanks. I have turned on the private message function. Send me your email and I will send you the photos.

MrHalfDime

In addition to the excellent advice and comments given here by others it must also be said: Do not clean the coin any more. It will not enhance the value of the coin by further cleaning.

rmpsrpms

<< <i>...I had the metal tested with a hand held spectrum gun and it tested from 99.8 to 100 percent copper. We tested it in several areas of the front and back. The other small percent registered iron, which I was told could be the corrosion... >>



What kind of test system was this? Can you give more details? I for one would love to have access to this type of testing. Where was it done? How much did it cost?

Shamika

<< <i>

<< <i>...I had the metal tested with a hand held spectrum gun and it tested from 99.8 to 100 percent copper. We tested it in several areas of the front and back. The other small percent registered iron, which I was told could be the corrosion... >>



What kind of test system was this? Can you give more details? I for one would love to have access to this type of testing. Where was it done? How much did it cost? >>




XRF analyzer. Quite common these days.

Relicman

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Let's see if these images appear. If not, I'll try again later. My email is public, so I'm available to send them by email.

Okay, it didn't work.

Relicman

Okay, try these links.

Copper Barber Dime Front

Relicman

Copper Barber Dime Back

Here finally is the back.

erwindoc

My guess is that it is just reacted with the environment, especially since it is so badly corroded.

sparky64

For the OP.

AUandAG

Here you go: oops, beat me to it....by seconds!

bob

AUandAG

I sure wish metal detectorists would not attempt to clean their finds. Sure did ruin this coin. Value
was destroyed. There are ways to preserve coins without this harsh scrubbing.
bob

Relicman

I understand your thoughts completely and agree. I've been metal detecting and coin collecting for 47 years. I NEVER clean any collectible coin. However, I do sell junk silver that I find. This fell into that category because I thought it had been in a fire. I began cleaning it so it would be accepted as scrap silver. They do not accept silver that is highly contaminated with other metals, say from a fire or chemical corrosion. Please note that I said I immediately quit cleaning it when I noticed something strange about it. As for the value, it is not for sale anyway, although a lot of emails have come in offering to buy this worthless coin.