1904-O Barber Quarter- Copper planchet?

cmerlo1 · November 19, 2009 10:38PM

I picked this up on Saturday from a junk bowl at the B&M because I thought it looked interesting. It has beautiful copper brown color. I did a 'scratch test' on the edge, and there is copper underneath the toning. The weight is 4.9 grams. I weighed a Washie in Fine and got 6.3 grams, but I'm not sure if F to AG loses that much weight. Question for the error experts: Was the mint making any foreign coins on large bronze planchets in 1904? Could quarter planchets have been punched from Indian Cent stock?

GoldenEyeNumismatics · November 19, 2009 11:40PM

It's likely a counterfeit that was silver washed, but the silver wore away.

STONE · November 20, 2009 12:18AM

<< <i>It's likely a counterfeit that was silver washed, but the silver wore away. >>

I was going to say the same thing.
And that's a really good deal if you were able to snag this from a junk bowl

rld14 · November 20, 2009 12:29AM

I was going to say the same thing... I bet it's a contemporary counterfeit

cmerlo1 · November 20, 2009 5:35AM

Thanks, everyone. The idea that this is a contemporary counterfeit never occurred to me, and sounds far more likely to me than the coin being off-metal. I guess my only question is- shouldn't there be at least some of the silver wash remaining in the protected areas? I guess in this grade it's highly possible that it's all gone.

rld14 · November 20, 2009 6:21AM

A few things make me think contemporary counterfeit right off the bat.

It's worn, well worn. How many off metal coins do you ever see that are well worn? Also the size.. even if it was struck on a 2c planchet the size would be off (And 2c pieces were gone long before Barbers came out)

cmerlo1 · November 20, 2009 8:26AM

<< <i>A few things make me think contemporary counterfeit right off the bat.

It's worn, well worn. How many off metal coins do you ever see that are well worn? Also the size.. even if it was struck on a 2c planchet the size would be off (And 2c pieces were gone long before Barbers came out) >>

Good points. I like it as a counterfeit!

rld14 · November 20, 2009 9:15AM

I tell you what I think happened... it's a 190something, and it's worn down to a solid AG. So figure that if it's a copy of a worn out 1900.. it would have been worn down after.. hmm.. 20-30 years of circulation? My guess is that it was made during the depression, some sort of copy of a worn coin so nobody would look too closely at it. I bet it was silvered and some nitwit cleaned it removing the silvering.

It's a theory anyhow

cmerlo1 · November 20, 2009 9:29AM

Makes sense to me... thanks again!

AUandAG · November 20, 2009 9:34AM

To answer your question, yes the mint made 5 centavos pieces for the Philippines that were made of 75% copper
and 25% nickel and weighed 5 grams. These were done by us for them in 1904, 05, 06, 07 etc.

bob

mikeyg · November 20, 2009 9:41AM

you can probably get good money for it at an on line auction

clackamas · November 20, 2009 12:30PM

<< <i>you can probably get good money for it at an on line auction

>>

Is there bad money?

1904-O Barber Quarter- Copper planchet?

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