Mystery Coins (Errors or what?)

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Numismaphile
Numismaphile Posts: 70 ✭✭
edited June 2, 2024 3:58PM in U.S. Coin Forum

This cent weighs 1.7 grams. Both PCGS and NGC returned it as "counterfeit" and "damaged to resemble error". I was thinking it was on an underweight planchet. I can understand if it was created to look that way, but how do you "damage" a cent to make it thinner but still have detail? The latter designation makes no sense to me.

Likewise, the prussian piece is a mirror-image of what I think was a 19th century 10-mark piece. Again, the "damaged to resemble error" designation mystifies me. How does one turn a coin inside out? NGC offered to take another look but before throwing any more time and expense at these I thought I'd invite your opinions.

Thank you.





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  • IkesT
    IkesT Posts: 4,600 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @Numismaphile said:
    how do you "damage" a cent to make it thinner but still have detail?

    Acid treatment.

  • TomB
    TomB Posts: 23,189 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    The Indian Head cent is acid-treated. That is pretty clear. Submerging a coin in acid will reduce its weight yet yield something with reasonably intact details. I did this many, many times in various labs (though not to IHCs) and they all looked like your coin.

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  • Sapyx
    Sapyx Posts: 2,615 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    First coin: guessing it's a counterfeit that someone soaked in acid to try to hide the counterfeit tells, and/or make it look like a thin planchet. Or at least that's what the TPGs are assuming.

    The second "coin" is Austrian, not Prussian. Specifically, an Austrian 10 kreuzer 1872. Though it's a squeeze-job counterfeit: take two normal coins, and a piece of blank metal between them, and squeeze the sandwich in a vise. Quickest and cheapest way to make a circulating counterfeit. The "error" it resembles is a brockage, but it's impossible to create a "double-brockage" like this as a genuine mint error.

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  • johnny9434
    johnny9434 Posts: 34,051 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    @IkesT said:

    @Numismaphile said:
    how do you "damage" a cent to make it thinner but still have detail?

    Acid treatment.

    what a shame yo do that to a coin

  • jmlanzaf
    jmlanzaf Posts: 43,046 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    There's no mystery. This is why it pays to run things past the forum before spending money on a submission.

    All comments reflect the opinion of the author, even when irrefutably accurate.

  • Numismaphile
    Numismaphile Posts: 70 ✭✭
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    Such a collection of talent here, thanks to everyone for sharing your experience and wisdom.

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