✅ SOLVED Modified SILVER COIN--Help ID!

[BuckleBoy]

Hello All,

My buddy dug this flattened silver item, and when we started looking at it closely--we could tell that it was once a coin. Can you help ID what type of coin it once was?




Thanks in advance,

Buck

 

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[BuckleBoy]

I think it is an 1853, 54, or 55 Seated Dime or Half Dime as they have the arrows by the date.

Here is a comparison of the area just above the arrow next to the date:

View attachment 1392277

The 'E' or 'F' on the back could only be from one of those coins.

Fantastic observation DC Matt! This totally convinces me!

 

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[BuckleBoy]

I think you're right on this one. I found another element of the obverse design that helps confirm it. I noticed that the three stars from OP's flattened coin have a specific rotation/orientation. The half dime and dime seem to have identical rotation angles for each of the three stars, from the top left star to the middle to bottom right of the three stars the angles are: about 15 degrees to the right, about 30 degrees to the right, and about -20 to -25 degree to the left. The same angles for the half dollar are completely different: about 15 degrees to the left, about 0 degrees (middle rays point straight up and straight down), and about 15 degrees to the right.

I traced the angles for the three stars separately for each coin and made an image overlay to compare each. The half-dime and dime (orange and red lines) are basically right on top of each other, and the half dollar (purple line) goes off on its own. The angles from OP's coin, even with all the distortion that's been done to it, closely match the angles of the dime and half dime in a way that seems unlikely to be coincidence.

Therefore, while the previous "transform" image I posted was helpful, the more accurate ID is either dime or half dime with arrows from one of the corresponding years.

See my demonstration of this below, if you want:

View attachment 1392476

Wow, that's great work! Even more definitive!! Fantastic graphic and nice work looking at the star alignment! Out of curiosity, was the star alignment the same on the later "with arrows" coins of the 1870s?

 

[redbeardrelics]

If from the "item the 'coin' was flattened against", wouldn't the images of the number and letter be in reverse?

Good point, I had not even thought about that !
But, now that I have thought about it, I think it would only be noticeable or relevant with certain numbers or letters, or if there were more than one number or letter represented, so that their orientation could be compared against each other?
What I am trying to say, is that if there were a letter or number impressed in the object or "anvil" that this coin was flattened against, and if it did thus leave a raised mirror image of that number or letter on this flattened coin, you would only have to be holding the flattened coin in an upside down orientation (rotated 180 degrees) in your hand to thus see most numbers or letters in their proper orientation. The only capital letters that would always look like they were in reverse are " F, G, J, L, N, P, Q, or R," . I think these are the only ones that are not symmetrical either top/bottom, or left/right sides?
I won't bother listing the numbers, if you see what I mean?

 

[DCMatt]

 

[Deftone]

lol

 

[jeff of pa]

I think it is an 1853, 54, or 55 Seated Dime or Half Dime as they have the arrows by the date.

Here is a comparison of the area just above the arrow next to the date:

View attachment 1392277

The 'E' or 'F' on the back could only be from one of those coins.

Since I'm guessing on Size & Because Flattening it would enlarge it

I say 1853 Seated Half Dime

 

[Deftone]

Imagine that!

 

[BuckleBoy]

View attachment 1393207 View attachment 1393208

Since I'm guessing on Size & Because Flattening it would enlarge it

I say 1853 Seated Half Dime

View attachment 1393209 View attachment 1393210

Wow, Thanks Jeff! This one is SOLVED! I couldn't even see that date on there until you blew up the photo!! FANTASTIC work, everyone!! I thought there was no way we'd get a date off of this coin!!

Cheers,

Buck