1945-S Walking Half stuck on wrong planchet?

Jinx86

Found this in a lot of 90% it weights 11.3 grams and measures 29.68mm. Would this be a light planchet or possible wrong planchet. As for strike its a bit weak but hard to tell with the wear, it was struck centered and reeding is full but not very deep.

SamByrd

very interesting coin.

Perhaps a Philippine or other foreign issue blank was used.

It could be a contemporary counterfeit as well.

cool find and hopefully some experts will chime in on this one.

Jinx86

Originally posted by: SamByrd

It could be a contemporary counterfeit as well.

Used our spectrometer on it, shoots as 91.68% silver.

TopographicOceans

I don't know what planchet it would be?
Maybe it's the right one, but was defective?

'Tis a puzzlement.

SamByrd

The info below was on another site.

LINKText


"1945-S Walking Liberty Half Struck On An El Salvador 25 Centavo Planchet NGC MS 63 This is the only known Walking Liberty Half Dollar struck on a Foreign Planchet for another country. It is on a planchet that was produced for the El Salvador Silver 25 Centavo. The 25 Centavo was struck for only two years, 1943 and 1944. Since this Walking Liberty Half Off-Metal is dated 1945, it is on a left-over planchet that was stuck in the bin or hopper from the previous year or the coin was minted in late 1944 as the Mint was gearing up for the next year’s production."

Jinx86

El Salvador 25 Centavo Planchet would be very thin at 7.5g but the right diameter or nearly so.

SamByrd

the mystery continues , this is a good one.

LanceNewmanOCC

Originally posted by: SamByrd

LINKText

fixed

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gonzer

Wartime coinage was very prone to wrong planchet strikes if my faded memory serves me right.

ricko

That is unique.... seems one would notice that in hand.... back in my youth, WLH's were

always found in change.... and a light one would be noticed immediately. Cheers, RickO

Jackthecat1

A Philippine 50 Centavo would weigh 10 grams, a bit lighter than this coin, but they were being struck at the same place at the same time.

Jinx86

I believe the 50 centavos the US made for the Philippines were 80 or 85% silver.

Rampage

Counterfeit, perhaps?

CaptHenway

Don't know. Contemporary counterfeit is possible, even in good silver.

seanq

Originally posted by: gonzer

Wartime coinage was very prone to wrong planchet strikes if my faded memory serves me right.

It was also very prone to planchets rolled to the incorrect thickness, which I believe to be the case here. Even though the Mint was striking coins for several foreign countries at the time, I didn't see any that imediately jumped out at me as candidates for this coin.





Sean Reynolds

SamByrd

the thing that makes me guess that it is a foreign planchet is the reeding. The op described the reeding as significantly different from a regular US half dollar.

seanq

Originally posted by: SamByrd

the thing that makes me guess that it is a foreign planchet is the reeding. The op described the reeding as significantly different from a regular US half dollar.

The reeding is imparted at the time the coin is struck, so if it was struck by US half dollar dies, I would also expect it was placed in a US half dollar collar. The OP states the reeding is weak, which is consistent with a thin planchet as a thin blank would not fully expand out to form the rim.



Sean Reynolds

SamByrd

defective blank is certainly plausible. Sure is an interesting thread.

goodmoney4badmoney

I'm in agreement with seanq that it's a rolled thin planchet.

Jinx86

As a thin planchet would this piece command any premium? The size and weight are noticeably differing in hand which is how I caught it.

goodmoney4badmoney

If it is indeed a rolled thin error it would command a premium, but nowhere near a large amount like a wrong planchet error would. In general, the more the actual weight varies from the intended weight the larger the premium. Also, nice catch!