What the heck is it?

[montanagold]

my buddy found this folded in half. it is about the size of a half dollar and is made of thin copper. We thought maybe it was a wrapper from choclate but the copper is thicker than foil. Any ideas? Thanks

 

[lostcauses]

Magic token??
Some of them were hollow.

 

[jeff741972]

Braided Hair, or Late Dates (1839–1857)

Facing more negative public reaction, the Coronet cents were redesigned in 1839 by new Chief Engraver Christian Gobrecht. This last major change to the coin updated the obverse by giving Liberty a slimmer, more youthful appearance. Minor tweaks continued through 1843, and the 1843 design prevailed through the end of mintage in 1857. Some 11 years after the large cent was discontinued, a mint employee coined several large cents dated 1868, almost certainly for sale as instant rarities to numismatists. Fewer than a dozen of these unofficial issues, struck in both bronze and copper-nickel, are known to survive.

Found that info on wikipedia

 

[Argentium]

I think a reverse pic is necessary here , interesting find for sure ! Argentium.

 

[Newt]

Hammered copper! Imprint maybe from a real copper penny onto sheet copper?
Newt

 

[jeff741972]

Am I the only one who noticed the date on that? It maybe some kind of knock off "collector copy" thing.

From what I found there is like 12 known for that date, cant really imagine one being bent in half then unbent.

 

[Newt]

Hammered copper! Imprint maybe from a real copper penny onto sheet copper?
Newt

i thought that TOO, but wouldn't it be a "reverse image?"

If they layed the copper on top it would imprint the image the same, Right?
Newt

 

[dwayne sueno]

the image is a copy of a gold $20 piece, not a copper. without a pic of the back, hard to tell what it would have been used for.

 

[montanagold]

I thought it was more like a 20 dollar gold piece because it is the size of a half and large cents are more like a quarter, It is just strange that the detail is there but it is so thin. I couldn't imagine someone hammering copper on a gold coin. that would damage the heck out of it.

 

[hammong]

I thought it was more like a 20 dollar gold piece because it is the size of a half and large cents are more like a quarter, It is just strange that the detail is there but it is so thin. I couldn't imagine someone hammering copper on a gold coin. that would damage the heck out of it.

My guess is that it was part of a gold-plated period counterfiet of a gold coin. One method of counterfeit was to emboss a sheet of copper onto the front and back of a good coin, solder the two halves together, fill with lead for weight, the carefully fix the edge as best as possible. The finished counterfeit was gold plated, and passed off as a real gold coin.

The design is identical to the 1868 $20 double eagles of that year, and the thickness suggests it's either a copper chocolate coin shell, or a counterfeit shell. =)

Greg

 

[mountainplayer]

I think hammong nailed it. Montanagold, you're right, but in 1868 a $20 gold coin was worth $20, regardless of condition. If I was trying to multiply my money I wouldn't mind banging up a gold piece to do it. You might just have an awesome example of a really rare counterfeit gold coin. Bet there aren't too many of those around.

What is the history of the site where it was found?

MP

 

[dwayne sueno]

I thought it was more like a 20 dollar gold piece because it is the size of a half and large cents are more like a quarter, It is just strange that the detail is there but it is so thin. I couldn't imagine someone hammering copper on a gold coin. that would damage the heck out of it.

My guess is that it was part of a gold-plated period counterfiet of a gold coin. One method of counterfeit was to emboss a sheet of copper onto the front and back of a good coin, solder the two halves together, fill with lead for weight, the carefully fix the edge as best as possible. The finished counterfeit was gold plated, and passed off as a real gold coin.

The design is identical to the 1868 $20 double eagles of that year, and the thickness suggests it's either a copper chocolate coin shell, or a counterfeit shell. =)

Greg

i want to like this idea, but i'm not so sure. the image on the outside is too clear for someone having hammered out the metal to make the INTERIOR create a passable cast. note the small dots around the rim. too precise for the face that is not casting an image. but perhaps this piece was a step in the counterfeiting process?