Aluminum state quarter with S mint Mark

jessewvu · February 27, 2017 1:56PM

My father-in-law owns several carwashes and found a aluminum state quarter with an S mint Mark. I looked at it briefly during our lunch out and the detail is extremely good. Are there any foreign countries the United States mint in San Francisco makes coins for?

bolivarshagnasty · February 27, 2017 2:03PM

That could be a pretty nice pay day. Keep us informed. Love to see some pics.

LindeDad · February 27, 2017 2:16PM

China?

FredWeinberg · February 27, 2017 2:17PM

The great odds are that it's a Proof coin ("S")
that's been nickel-plated, as a novelty item.

Compare the weight to a normal clad quarter,
and I'll bet it's the same weight, or a fraction
more, due to the plating.

(this is said without seeing a photo of the coin,
and under the assumption that it's a normal round
Quarter with full reeding, etc.)

LanceNewmanOCC · February 27, 2017 2:30PM

.
i have held and own numerous different types of aluminum coins (non-usa) and even the ones as big as a half

dollar are extremely light in the hand. one the size of a state quarter is feather-light.
.

1630Boston · February 27, 2017 2:36PM

I would love to see a picture

Alice3 · February 27, 2017 2:39PM

Hi guys. My name is Alice and I am a new member to this forum. Nice to meet you all here.

davewesen · February 27, 2017 3:52PM

How did you determine it was aluminum?

jessewvu · February 27, 2017 5:42PM

I don't know what it is. It is very light. He demonstrated the lightness by dropping it to the ground so I could hear it....

jessewvu · February 27, 2017 5:46PM

He gets a lot of counterfeit currency and coins at the car wash. He even helped the FBI catch a guy dropping counterfeit $20's up the east coast. Anyway, he thought it was a fake coin but the detail was really really good. Dimensions were right too. I didn't weigh it. I asked him to text me some pictures.

MsMorrisine · February 27, 2017 5:56PM

car wash
Aluminum quarter

The part that doesn't make sense is that he found only 1.

BStrauss3 · February 27, 2017 6:00PM

It's probably play money that somebody used instead of a real quarter. Some cash acceptors only check diameter not weight or electrical characteristics.

mvs7 · February 27, 2017 6:07PM

There have been a number of foreign coins produced at the San Francisco Mint, from 1883-1979, for the following countries: Australia, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Fiji, French Indo-China, Guatemala, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, Israel, Liberia, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands East Indies, Panama, Peru, Philippines, and Venezuela. There have been some, a minority, that have the "S" mintmark. Most don't. The only issues that are aluminum are Philippines 1 sentimos from the 1960s and 1970s, which are either very small or square, and the proof Nepal 1, 2, and 5 paisa coins from 1970-1974, which are all much smaller than a quarter. None of these have the "S" mintmark. There have also been some stainless steel issues, such as for Costa Rica, that might appear light. Offhand, I can't think of an issue that has an "S" mintmark that isn't silver, bronze, brass, german silver, copper nickel, or some other "heavier" alloy.

So, I guess we are at at impasse until we can get a better description or a picture.

ricko · February 28, 2017 6:41AM

We need pictures, weight... Seems as if it would be too trivial to counterfeit a quarter... however, for something like a coin operated car wash it might be useful.... Cheers, RickO

asheland · February 28, 2017 10:34AM

Sounds interesting. Indeed it would be VERY lightweight. Probably a gram in weight.

Alice3

MsMorrisine · February 28, 2017 10:38AM

pi(d/2)^2thickness*density of aluminum

pmac · February 28, 2017 11:46AM

The cost to create a counterfeit quarter must be huge. It would take quite a few to get a return of investment, considering the exposure of getting caught. Does the mint produce aluminum coins for other countries? This would seem like the only way this error could occur other than a devious mint employee.

LindeDad · February 28, 2017 12:11PM

Weren't the china car recyclers sending fake coins back to the mint made of pot metal and the mint got taken for bunch paying the claims.

epcjimi1 · February 28, 2017 12:17PM

My father-in-law owns several carwashes and found a aluminum state quarter with an S mint Mark<<

Yep. Need pics.

keets · February 28, 2017 12:23PM

my experience when I find something like this is to immediately check the weight. if that is within a few .00 grams then it is worth checking further.

MsMorrisine · February 28, 2017 12:33PM

@LindeDad said:
Weren't the china car recyclers sending fake coins back to the mint made of pot metal and the mint got taken for bunch paying the claims.

yes

ChrisH821 · February 28, 2017 2:00PM

@LindeDad said:
Weren't the china car recyclers sending fake coins back to the mint made of pot metal and the mint got taken for bunch paying the claims.

Yeah, under some sort of damaged coin buy-back program... they were paying out some ridiculous amount, each exported scrap car had way more change than any sane person would ever have in their vehicle. I'll try to find the article.

ChrisH821 · February 28, 2017 2:03PM

Here we go:

http://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/2015/03/feds-investigate-counterfeit-mutilated-u-s--coins-from-china.all.html#

"each car would have had to contain the equivalent of $900 worth of the copper-nickel clad coins, according to the complaint."

MsMorrisine · February 28, 2017 3:06PM

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/31/100.11

31 CFR 100.11 - Exchange of bent and partial coins.

Authorities (U.S. Code)

§ 100.11 Exchange of bent and partial coins.
(a)Definitions.
(1) Bent coins are U.S. coins which are bent or deformed so as to preclude normal machine counting but which are readily and clearly identifiable as to genuineness and denomination.
(2) Partial coins are U.S. coins which are not whole; partial coins must be readily and clearly identifiable as to genuineness and denomination.
(b)Redemption basis. Bent and partial coins shall be presented separately by denomination category in lots of at least one pound for each category. Bent and partial coins shall be redeemed on the basis of their weight and denomination category rates (which is the weight equivalent of face value). If not presented separately by denomination category, bent and partial coins will not be accepted for redemption. Denomination categories and rates are Cents, @ $1.4585 per pound; Nickels, @ $4.5359 per pound; Dimes, Quarters, Halves, and Eisenhower Dollars @ $20.00 per pound; and Anthony Dollars @ $56.00 per pound. Copper plated zinc cents shall be redeemed at the face value equivalent of copper one cent coins.
(c)Redemption site. Bent and partial coins will be redeemed only at the United States Mint, P.O. Box 400, Philadelphia, PA 19105. Coins are shipped at sender's risk and expense.
[ 47 FR 32044, July 23, 1982, as amended at 64 FR 39920, July 23, 1999]

however

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/04/29/2016-10123/extension-of-suspension-of-coin-exchange-by-united-states-mint

ACTION:
Notice.
SUMMARY:
Under the authority of 31 U.S.C. 5120, the United States Mint established a program by which people and businesses could exchange bent and partial coins for reimbursement. Fused or mixed coins cannot be redeemed by the United States Mint.
On November 2, 2015, the United States Mint suspended the exchange program for a period of six months to assess the security of the program and develop additional safeguards, as necessary, to ensure the integrity of United States coinage. Since that time, the United States Mint has made significant progress in assessing the current state of the program, evaluating risks, and identifying potential remedial measures. Additionally, the United States Mint has engaged the services of an independent contractor to assist us in these efforts. However, due to recent litigation involving the exchange program and more time needed to complete our work, the United States Mint is extending the suspension of its redemption of bent and partial coins for an additional period of six months.
DATES:
Effective May 2, 2016.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Tom Jurkowsky; Director, Office of Corporate Communications; United States Mint; Washington, DC; at (202) 354-7720 or tom.jurkowsky@usmint.treas.gov.
Authority: 31 U.S.C. 5120.
Dated: April 26, 2016.
Richard A. Peterson,
Deputy Director for Manufacturing and Quality, United States Mint.
[FR Doc. 2016-10123 Filed 4-28-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P

MsMorrisine · February 28, 2017 3:14PM

who would counterfeit this? but they do.

ricko · March 1, 2017 7:38AM

Still no pictures or weight information??? Cheers, RickO

cladking · March 2, 2017 4:26PM

@LindeDad said:
Weren't the china car recyclers sending fake coins back to the mint made of pot metal and the mint got taken for bunch paying the claims.

The idiots were accepting cargo containers of waffled half dollar fakes. It's hard to believe anyone could fall for such a crude attempt at theft or that the clowns in China counterfeiting these didn't research American coinage sufficiently to know that half dollars don't circulate so wouldn't fall out of junked cars!!!

This is simply indicative of the vast incompetence, greed, and depravity that now runs the world.

The worst part of it is probably no laws were broken in China and no one in this country will be held accountable. There will just be promotions all around.

davewesen · March 2, 2017 6:36PM

@jessewvu said:
My father-in-law owns several carwashes and found a aluminum state quarter with an S mint Mark. I looked at it briefly during our lunch out and the detail is extremely good. Are there any foreign countries the United States mint in San Francisco makes coins for?

Could it have been struck over a foreign coin? Canada has nickel plated steel quarters that weigh less than ours. 4.4 grams versus 5.67 grams