1965 lead quarter?

GroundSweeper

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Don’t know where this turned up - metal detecting or pocket change, but I’m positive it’s lead. I can bend it with my thumbs. I sawed into the edge initially to find the copper but there isn’t any copper and it’s soft.

Weighs 5.9g

Looks kind crude in details.

Anybody heard of or seen a lead quarter? Counterfeit or what? Weird.
 

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When my grandmother was moving and we were helping her pack up her house, we found some lead molds that my father had made when he was younger. He and his friends made them to fool vending machines. His slugs didn't have that much detail, but he assured me that they worked. That being said, I'm not sure what you have there.
 
That’s actually really cool. Never knew they did that but it makes sense some would try.
 
Strange, but kinda cool. Seems like a poor choice to counterfeit from the risk vs reward standpoint. A homemade slug for vending or slot machines or really hated feeding the parking meters.

'65 quarters were 40% silver IIRC, but definitely not clad. So you wouldn't find copper inside.

1965+ washington quarters we're definitely clad. 1965-69 kennedy halves were 40% silver...
 
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Huh. Well, I guess I learned something. :wow: Thanks!

Sorry, I realized that came off kinda snooty sounding, my apologies. I was browsing the forum when I hit reply and started typing. I was on a break and then got abrubtly dragged back to work so I had to cut it off real quick.
 
Sorry, I realized that came off kinda snooty sounding, my apologies...

Nah no worries, Didn't read that way to me. I'm sure I definitely noticed the change over back in the day, but evidently had forgotten over the years.
Thanks for the refresher!
 
I have two lead buffalo nickels. I am sure some kid made them for vending machines. BUT the images are reversed and looks like they were just pressed into the lead. I have never seen a lead coin that was made from a mold. INTERESTING!
 
When my grandmother was moving and we were helping her pack up her house, we found some lead molds that my father had made when he was younger. He and his friends made them to fool vending machines. His slugs didn't have that much detail, but he assured me that they worked. That being said, I'm not sure what you have there.

Thanks pretty cool, thanks for the info.

That's a new one to me. Looks like somebody made a mold with a real quarter, and poured their own lead coins. Bad coin, but good find!

Yeah a trip for sure. Just didn’t make sense.

That’s actually really cool. Never knew they did that but it makes sense some would try.

Thanks


Thanks for the link/info.

Strange, but kinda cool. Seems like a poor choice to counterfeit from the risk vs reward standpoint. A homemade slug for vending or slot machines or really hated feeding the parking meters.



1965+ washington quarters we're definitely clad. 1965-69 kennedy halves were 40% silver...

Yeah I couldn’t make sense out of it, just weird!

Counterfeit.:yes:someone was bored.

I guess! Back when there were no cell phones :lol:

I have two lead buffalo nickels. I am sure some kid made them for vending machines. BUT the images are reversed and looks like they were just pressed into the lead. I have never seen a lead coin that was made from a mold. INTERESTING!

Definitely a weird “coin”, thanks for the input Scuba!
 
Definitely looks counterfeit to me, I have found two such coins, one is a 1877 seated quarter, pewter with a silver plating, The other is a 1898 Barber Half that is just cast pewter. It amazes us today to think that there was a profit to be made in counterfeiting coins, but there was. Counterfeit coins do have some collectors out there, just be careful with a GW quarter as they are still the current issue.
 
Not sure why someone would forge a coin that's worth 25c. If you'd get caught trying to use it, I'd assume there'd be harsh penalties. Cool find nonetheless :yes:
 
I've never seen a fake quarter from the clad era - why bother? I do own a lead shield nickel, though. I guess nickels were worth faking in the 1860s.
 
I've never seen a fake quarter from the clad era - why bother? I do own a lead shield nickel, though. I guess nickels were worth faking in the 1860s.

Nickels were worth counterfeiting just before WW2 also:

http://www.error-ref.com/henning-counterfeit-nickel/

Many candy and soda machines could be fooled with lead coins and other slugs. But to make dies and cast a lead quarter? Very strange.
 
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