Silver plug in colonial copper

[gold panner]

Just trying to see if anyone has ever seen a silver plug in a colonial copper before? Trying to learn the purpose. Could it have been to get the weight of the coin legal. Just filling an old hole? I can tell you that it appears to be original from when the coin was minted. Any help would be awesome thanks

 

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[Dozer D]

It had come about in the very early years of US silver coins, that cheaters would carefully FILE OFF the rims of the coins to get minute amounts of silver, that's when the mint decided to put on REEDED EDGES on the dime qtr half & dollar silver coins. I don't about the drilled holes in coins.

 

[PetesPockets55]

1795 had some silver plugs but they were located in the center of the coin.
1795 silver Plug LINK .

 

[ironhorse]

I'd like to see a nice clear cropped photo of both sides of just the coin you're talking about..it will help identify and may answer some of your questions

 

[GlenDronach]

I always believed it was to instill confidence in the early coins.

People wouldn't trust new coins of nonvaluable metal for a new country, so the plugs were a component to give the coins a metal value so people would be willing to accept them and spend them.

But that again, was what I have believed, and I'm not colonial expert.

 

[BLK HOLE]

I don't know anything about plugging coins but I do know a nice find when I see one!

 

[gold panner]

I'd like to see a nice clear cropped photo of both sides of just the coin you're talking about..it will help identify and may answer some of your questions

the back side would not be a good pic because you can not see the plug, because I have not cleaned the coin until I know exactly what I have.

 

[PetesPockets55]

I always believed it was to instill confidence in the early coins.

People wouldn't trust new coins of nonvaluable metal for a new country, so the plugs were a component to give the coins a metal value so people would be willing to accept them and spend them.

But that again, was what I have believed, and I'm not colonial expert.

Very true to a degree.
The silver was added to bring the intrinsic value up to 1 cent for the size coin they were planning. For a solid copper coin to actually be worth 1cent back then it would have been bigger than a dollar!

 

[ironhorse]

the back side would not be a good pic because you can not see the plug, because I have not cleaned the coin until I know exactly what I have.

I don't feel I have to see the plug on the other side
just clear pics....first have to identify the coin
My first impression is perhaps just a spot of silver solder on the surface for whatever reason