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Unusual Liberty Nickel Set

JeffMTampaJeffMTampa Posts: 3,301 ✭✭✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum
Although I do have a Liberty Nickel Registry set my latest acquisition won't grade due to PMD. It's a 6 coin stack of 1902 5C fused together (assumed, only 2 dates are visible). My guess is these coins were stacked (or rolled) when exposed to intense heat. With visible detail remaining it looks to me like these coins had little wear at the time of the melt, so my guess is the event occurred between 1902 and 1910. Perhaps this group of nickels was in San Francisco in 1906?


image


image


image


image


This is a tough item to photograph properly to tell the story, but it's pretty cool. It's fun to think about what may have caused this stack of 6 to become 1.

I love them Barber Halves.....

Comments

  • YorkshiremanYorkshireman Posts: 4,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That is a neat find.Congratulations
    Yorkshireman,Obsessed collector of round, metallic pieces of history.Hunting for Latin American colonial portraits plus cool US & British coins.
  • kazkaz Posts: 9,236 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That's really cool. Fun to speculate about what actually happened to them.
  • winkywinky Posts: 1,671 ✭
    I love it a lot. Congrats.
  • UnknownUnknown
    This content has been removed.
  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 34,401 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Awesome find! Cool addition to a Liberty Nickel set. Thanks for posting imageimage
    Private Mint News | 2010 Lincoln Reverse Finalists
  • AUandAGAUandAG Posts: 24,842 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That is quite unusual....looks like it was compressed rather than heated....but who knows. Maybe the collapse of a 5 story building on this roll during a fire was the cause? Both heat and compression?





    bobimage
    Registry: CC lowballs (boblindstrom), bobinvegas1989@yahoo.com
  • commoncents05commoncents05 Posts: 10,094 ✭✭✭
    Are you sure they are (were) genuine? It looks like a stack of lead counterfeits.



    -Paul
    Many Quality coins for sale at http://www.CommonCentsRareCoins.com
  • oih82w8oih82w8 Posts: 12,469 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Interesting observations on an interesting short stack.



    Although the bubbles on the cheeks give me pause for a cast counterfeit.
    oih82w8 = Oh I Hate To Wait _defectus patientia_aka...Dr. Defecto - Curator of RMO's

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  • dbldie55dbldie55 Posts: 7,739 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Very cool.
    Collector and Researcher of Liberty Head Nickels. ANA LM-6053
  • MFHMFH Posts: 11,720 ✭✭✭✭

    Jeff...pls bring this to FUN !!!
    Mike Hayes
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Coin collecting is not a hobby, it's an obsession !

    New Barber Purchases
  • JeffMTampaJeffMTampa Posts: 3,301 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I will bring them to FUN.


    I've seen coins that were exposed to a hot fire before. If they get hot enough they'll begin to soften, fuse, and melt. Bubbles start to form on the surface as well; likely a chemical reaction caused by the heat. This lump of metal isn't lead; it looks like nickel to me.


    For me the question is whether it was involved in some sort of disaster or they were made in a campfire intentionally.

    I love them Barber Halves.....
  • amwldcoinamwldcoin Posts: 11,269 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That would go well with the 1904 Barber Half's melted together John Frost has that he believes are probably from the San Francisco Fire. I can't remember if he has proof.
  • JedPlanchetJedPlanchet Posts: 908 ✭✭✭
    Post mint damage is an understatement! Very cool!
    Whatever you are, be a good one. ---- Abraham Lincoln
  • ChristosChristos Posts: 950 ✭
    Originally posted by: JeffMTampa

    I will bring them to FUN.







    I've seen coins that were exposed to a hot fire before. If they get hot enough they'll begin to soften, fuse, and melt. Bubbles start to form on the surface as well; likely a chemical reaction caused by the heat. This lump of metal isn't lead; it looks like nickel to me.







    For me the question is whether it was involved in some sort of disaster or they were made in a campfire intentionally.




    I have seen many coins that have been exposed to excessive heat and the surface does get these bubbles.



  • keyman64keyman64 Posts: 15,521 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Those things have issues! image
    "If it's not fun, it's not worth it." - KeyMan64
    Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners. :smile:
  • JeffMTampaJeffMTampa Posts: 3,301 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If I submit this to PCGS for grading will they charge for 1 coin or 6? It would be interesting to see what kind of holder they would put it in.


    image


    By the way, the melting point of Nickel is 2,651 F; darn hot! Likely more than a campfire would be capable of.

    I love them Barber Halves.....
  • gripgrip Posts: 9,962 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Since there already damaged why not try to pry one loose...if possible.



    If they were mine the curiosity would haunt meimage
  • keyman64keyman64 Posts: 15,521 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Weigh it. Does it weigh what 6 nickels would...or close?
    "If it's not fun, it's not worth it." - KeyMan64
    Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners. :smile:
  • JeffMTampaJeffMTampa Posts: 3,301 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: grip
    Since there already damaged why not try to pry one loose...if possible.

    If they were mine the curiosity would haunt meimage


    It's clear the coins have melted together on one side and the balance is fused together. These coins aren't coming apart. The fact they melted makes them special.
    I love them Barber Halves.....
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Now that is unique.... I thought of prying a couple apart as well... looked like it might

    be possible... maybe not. Cheers, RickO
  • scubafuelscubafuel Posts: 1,922 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Hi Jeff, here is something similar to what you have. In this case, the fire was hot enough to melt the silver, but not the nickel (or not entirely)



    image

    image
  • tradedollarnuttradedollarnut Posts: 20,166 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I wouldn't buy it as genuine
    Early Dollar Set
  • JeffMTampaJeffMTampa Posts: 3,301 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: scubafuel
    Hi Jeff, here is something similar to what you have. In this case, the fire was hot enough to melt the silver, but not the nickel (or not entirely)

    image
    image


    That's way cool!
    I love them Barber Halves.....
  • mustangmanbobmustangmanbob Posts: 1,890 ✭✭✭✭✭
    500 LIKES on this one.



    Several years ago, at an Estate or Garage sale, I forget which, was a block of metal mess under a table in the garage. It weighed 15 pounds +/-, obvious fire damage. The remains of spoons, forks, etc. were visible, in somewhat orderly rows, along with just knife blades laying across the top. To me, it was very clear this was a sterling silver set that was in its storage box, and had been through a fire. I asked how much, and was quoted the astronomical price of $10.



    Sterling's melting point is about 1000 degrees less than stainless.



    I did not fight them on the price.
  • kiyotekiyote Posts: 5,586 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I think I saw these coins ten years ago in a Sunnyvale coin shop! They were speculated to have been in the 06 San Francisco quake.
    "I'll split the atom! I am the fifth dimension! I am the eighth wonder of the world!" -Gef the talking mongoose.
  • barberkeysbarberkeys Posts: 4,156 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Jeff - Neat.
    Vern
    l
    It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you've got.
  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 28,934 ✭✭✭✭✭
    i got an email from my chinese friend. he said " sum ting wong" id be shy of that one
  • kruegerkrueger Posts: 900 ✭✭✭✭
    Looks like the stacks of burnt coins i've seen in the chicago history museum from the Chicago fire in 1871.

    Krueger
  • JeffMTampaJeffMTampa Posts: 3,301 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: johnny9434
    i got an email from my chinese friend. he said " sum ting wong" id be shy of that one


    Hhhmmmm...... I guess I'll need to send it in to PCGS to get it authenticated. Will I need to pay for 1 coin submission or 6? I'm guessing it will be put in a details holder, but what would that holder look like? image
    I love them Barber Halves.....
  • valente151valente151 Posts: 1,068 ✭✭✭
    Originally posted by: JeffMTampa
    Originally posted by: johnny9434
    i got an email from my chinese friend. he said " sum ting wong" id be shy of that one


    Hhhmmmm...... I guess I'll need to send it in to PCGS to get it authenticated. Will I need to pay for 1 coin submission or 6? I'm guessing it will be put in a details holder, but what would that holder look like? image


    Id be shocked if pcgs touched this.
    My Retired Toned Proof Mercury Dime Set
  • JeffMTampaJeffMTampa Posts: 3,301 ✭✭✭✭✭
    image
    I love them Barber Halves.....
  • BackroadJunkieBackroadJunkie Posts: 3,745 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I recall seeing a mostly melted lump of coins in our local historical museum from the Great Chicago Fire. (That was back in the 60's. As in 1960's. The fire was in 1871.)



    I should go back there one day to see if they still have them on display, now that I'm a bit more familiar with the subject material... image

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