✅ SOLVED Strange Mexican 20 Centavo find.

[Iron Buzz]

Got a mystery here. I detected for a little while this afternoon on a vacant lot in the Mexican section of West St. Paul. In one corner of the lot, I came across a number of coins, mostly 20 centavos, that were badly chewed up and bent. Some were actually connected by a thin bit of metal between them, as though they were stamped out of the same piece but never quite cut through. In one case, both a 1971 and a 1973 are on one piece of metal!

I've seen quite a few mower-bit coins before, but they have never been chewed up like these were, and they are never connected or surrounded by flashing like this. Think it might have been a counterfeiting operation, perhaps? Other theories?

 

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[xr7ator]

My guess is that they were made into some form of jewelry and after the loss and time in the elements has left them the way they are now.

I've got two Mexican coins that I dug that have clear soldering or welding marks and one of them has a loop attached the edge.

 

[Mackaydon]

Perhaps, at one time, they looked like this:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/215244...earch_query=mexican centavo&ref=sr_gallery_13
Don...

 

[Iron Buzz]

My guess is that they were made into some form of jewelry and after the loss and time in the elements has left them the way they are now.

I've got two Mexican coins that I dug that have clear soldering or welding marks and one of them has a loop attached the edge.

I'm certain this isn't soldering. It may not be clear from the photos, but those coins are one piece of bronze.

 

[DCMatt]

Don is right on it. It's likely the remains of an ashtray.


Just Google 20 Centavos Ashtrays and you'll see loads of examples.

 

[Iron Buzz]

Don is right on it. It's likely the remains of an ashtray.


Just Google 20 Centavos Ashtrays and you'll see loads of examples.

Yeah, I think you guys are right. At least, it is by far the best answer I have at this time.