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From: nchoate
Subject: 1988 D, 100% Zinc, Lincoln cent
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I found a 1988 D, 100% zinc (no signs of copper at least), Lincoln Cent. It still has all the images, but is a little scratched and could use some cleaining.  I got it as change somewhere in the last month or so.  I definitely see the need to clean this and know its showing some wear, but from the pictures I sent can you give me any idea whether the coin is worth keeping?  If it is, how do you recommend cleaning it up properly? Thanks in Advance.

All Lincoln cents after 1982 are pure zinc with a copper plating.  Your coin is missing the plating layer. Error collectors buy these coins at a premium.  In the condition of your specimen, considering the damage, the market value is about $2.  Cleaning the coin would render the value zero.   See the CoinSite Feature What's it Worth? to see approximate market prices for errors.  See the "Lamination" Table for more errors including other coins missing layers of metal.

Name:        sarah martin
Email Address:   sarock44@netzero.net
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Question:        WHAT IS A 1968 PURE SILVER KENNEDY HALF DOLLAR WORTH AND HOW MANY WERE MADE?

1968-D Kennedy half dollars are minted in clad composition consisting of 40% silver and 60% copper. There are no known examples struck on the 90% silver flans used for the 1964 half dollars. Note that only Denver Mint half dollars were struck in 1968.  Mintage: 246,951,930.

What ever the purpose of the counterstamp "14K", it was punched by someone outside the Mint. This doesn't necessarily add value to the coin but if you could determine the meaning of the counterstamp or how it was used, there are collectors for reengraved coins that were used for some other purpose besides money.

For example, there is a entire class of coins either counterstamped with advertising messages or encased in aluminum shaped horseshoes with advertising or political messages and used for keychains and good luck charms.  To get more information about this interesting area of collecting (exonumia) click here.

If only a small part of the other bill is visible, you have a "Minor Misalignment with Part of Another Note Visible" error.  Value depends on the grade (condition of the note).  Range (F-CU) - $25 -$50.

You have either a 1745 silver 6 pence (dime size) or silver shilling (quarter size) from Great Britain. There are also gold 1/2 guinea,  guinea and 5 Guinea coins with "Lima" below the bust but with a crown shield on the reverse.

The obverse of the coin shows a bust of King George II facing left. The Latin legend GEORIVS II DEI GRATIA (George II By The Grace of G-d) is around.

The reverse shows the date 1745 separated by a Crown, the shield of Great Britain's domains are below. The abbreviated Latin Legend continues from the obverse and is around the rim: M.B.F ET H. REX.FD.B.ET.LD.SRI.A.T.ET.E = Magnae Britannieae, Franciae ET Hiberniae REX Fidei Defensor Brunsviciensis ET Luneburgensis Dux, Sacri Romani Imperii Archi-Thesaurarius ET Elector
Translation: King of Great Britain, France (Normandy) and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Duke of Brunswick and Luneburg, High Treasurer and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire .

The word "Lima" under the bust represents that the silver was captured in raids on the Spanish Settlements in the New World in what now is Peru. (All of Latin American sans Brazil was called El Peru.  Individual countries independent from Spain didn't emerge in South and Central America until the 19th century.) The state of war between England and Spain was normal state of affairs for more than a century.

The value of your coin depends on the grade (state of preservation), the denomination and the variety (there are overdates such a s 1746/5)  Range for the silver denominations: $10 - $500.

Since no United States silver dollars bear the date 1820, then:
1. You do not have a United States silver dollar but maybe a coin of another denomination (half dollar?).
2. You have a silver dollar from a later period with an altered date, that means the date was changed with a special tool. This kind of fabrication has no meaningful monetary value except as a curiosity.
3. You have a "dollar size" coin from another country.

One way to tell what you have would be to describe the coin or send an image. There were specific designs in particular eras. For example, Draped Bust silver dollars were struck from 1795-1803.  Gobrecht's Seated Dollar with a flying eagle reverse were minted from 1836-1839.  The Seated Dollar with stars around and a eagle with open wings from 1840-1873.  Morgan Dollars with a bust of Liberty facing left from 1878-1904 and then again in 1921.  Peace Silver dollars intermittently from 1921-1935.

You can see values of the most common dates of U.S. coins on the What's it Worth? feature on CoinSite.

Sounds like you have a 1887 Great Britain silver shilling that has been enameled (the coin wasn't minted that way). The obverse shows the Jubilee bust of Queen Victoria facing left.  The legend VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITT. REGINA.F.D. (Victoria, by the Grace of G-d, queen of Britain and defender of the faith).  The reverse shows the shield of England with the Norman-French legend HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE (Evil to him who evil thinks) [note: This is the motto of the Order of the Garter that was first used on halfcrowns of  Charles I and was used extensively on the coinage of George III].

The value of this item is as jewelry not as a coin.  Unaltered 1887 silver shillings are common and available in the market in average circulated grades for less than $10.

You have an Allied Occupation Military Currency note for one German mark. These were issued by the allies as temporary occupation money to replace the 3rd Reich currency when Germany collapsed at the end of WW II.

The 1944 issue is blue with a light blue underprinting.  The value depends on the type (there are four) and the grade (condition). Value range: US 10 cents - $200.

Your note is from the hyper-inflation period in Germany.  It is the 1923 1st issue and is dated 20.2.1923 (February 20, 1923).  Only three notes were issued in this series, the 10,000 mark, 20,000 mark and 1 Million mark (about enough for a nice lunch. A few months later this note wouldn't buy you a postage stamp).

The note is uniface (blank on back). Collector value depends on grade (condition).  Average circulated pieces are worth about US 10 cents. Uncirculated examples, about $15.

The Missouri sales tax tokens are from the depression era (c.1933) and are very common (value about 25 cents). United States three cent silvers that have been hole punched are worth about $2 and are considered a damaged coin. Click here to find information about the Bank of Upper Canada tokens.

You have a brass, 1962 Bulgaria 1 Stotinka (100 stotinki= 1 lev) from the People's Republic of Bulgaria.  The coin is obsolete and was replaced by the Republic of Bulgaria coinage in 1992. Bulgaria uses the Russian Cyrillic alphabet. Value range: less than US 10 cents.

This is company store token from Flintshire in Wales, England and was used to buy merchandise at the company store but probably circulated within the nearby community as well. The obverse shows a factory with smoking chimneys, the legend FLINT LEAD WORKS and in exergue (below the base line of the design), the date 1813.  The reverse has a beaded border and an inner circle.  The legend at the border is ONE POUND NOTE FOR 240 TOKENS, the inner circle's legend is ONE PENNY TOKEN.

The monetary system, for those uninitiated to the English system prior to 1971, was based on twelves not tens. There were 12 pence (pennys) to a shilling and 20 shillings to a pound (£), therefore 12 x 20 = the number of pennys in a £ or 240.

The story of tokens in England is fascinating and probably far more interesting than collecting official coins. Most of the private issue tokens were motivated by coin shortages, mostly small change, that plagued England's economy at various times in her history.  The shortages between 1811-1815 were caused by the economic drain of the Napoleonic Wars.  Often, Manufacturing firms were compelled to create their own coins in order to pay their workers.  The "obligation" on the Flint token promises to pay an official £1 note for 240 tokens which allowed acceptability by the receivers.

Value of this token depends on grade (condition) and variety (there are 9 known varieties).  Approximate range: US$10 - $50.

Yes, those are fairly scarce errors. Cent planchets got mixed with the nickel blanks creating a nickel struck on a cent (a 6 cent piece?). Often the outer design of the nickel will be missing as the blank is too small for the die.  Usually the flan is thin as it stretches out to attempt to fill the collar to compensate. Approximate Value Range:  $60-$100 each.

The half dime doesn't exist with the date 1804.  You have a coin with an altered date. This is done by "chasing" the last digit into a "4" with a special tool.  If you have any doubts about this, you can have your coin certified by the American Numismatic Association.  See their Link on the CoinSite's Link Page.

Don't do this without supervision if you are under the age of 16 (or over 35 if you are a klutz in the kitchen).

1. take a piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides to make a tray.  
2. Make one end of your aluminum foil tray a bit lower than the other side (maybe put a shallow oven-proof dish under that side).
3. Place the affected coins on the higher part of the aluminum foil tray.
4. Turn on kitchen oven to 350 degrees.
5. Place your aluminum foil tray with coins in the upper part of the oven.  
6. Wait 5-10 minutes. The wax will melt off the coins into the lower part of the aluminum foil.
7. Shut off oven and wait for it to cool.   
8. The hardened wax will be at the lower end of the foil tray and the coins will be spendable.

Tokens similar to this one, with a wreath design were used extensively in the Civil War era (1861-1865) as emergency small change. These tokens became used for political or advertising purposes as well as a substitute for money (note the message: TIME INCREASES HIS FAME within a wreath on your example). For more information about Civil War tokens click here.

You have a 1867 Vatican (Papal States) copper, 1 Soldo (5 cetesimi= 1 soldo). The obverse shows the bust of Pope Pius IX (1846-1878) facing left, the Latin legend  PIUS. IX. PONT.MAX ANN.XXI (Pius the ninth, Pontifix Maximus (Pope) in the 21st year).

The reverse shows a beaded border with:   1 soldi R within and STATO PONIFICO 5 CENT. One Soldo, (R)ome Mint. Papal States 5 centesimi) around.

There is a large and small date variety. Value depends on condition.  Range:$1 - $50 (uncirculated).

During the period from about 1789 to 1812 England experienced an acute coin shortage that resulted in private individuals and companies making their own small change to facilitate trade. These tokens were first cataloged in a book published in 1798 by James Condor. Collector's today call this emergency money "Condor" tokens. Later catalogs by Dalton and Hamer updated and added to the body of knowledge about these interesting pieces. Your Condor token is from Angelsey. These particular tokens first appeared in 1787 and were made at the Parys Mines.  More than 250 tons of copper pennies

The design shows a Druid's head in a cowl on the obverse and a monogram, "PM Co", on the reverse.  Value Range: $15-$25.  Silver proofs exist as well as gilt copper: Range for those $150 -$350.