Almost threw this one back! Or, should I have?

[fistfulladirt]

I've been roll hunting long enough that I should know better, but need advice here. I found this S-proof Kennedy today while roll hunting with my kids...looked like a beat-up S-clad and I was ready to toss it back until I decided to dip it (gasp). I wish I'd taken a "before" pic though. Ok, I'm seeing auctions online for 1971 40% S-silver Kennedys, there must be some mistake, goes against all my research. It looks like a solid silver rim on this one.
Anyhow, we didn't do too bad, $108 in halves also gave up 2 - 40%.
$10 in cents gave up 3 wheats, and $100 in nickels produced one '45 P war and a dozen or so pre-50 Jeffersons, and we had some fun. Thanks for looking.

 

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[Bigheed]

The front face doesn't look like a 40% to me and i'm pretty sure I can see the copper in the side profile pic.

There are supposedly some 71 40% that got struck on old planchets.

If it weighs more than 11.34g take it to a LCS or jeweler and ask them to do a silver test on it. a 40% weighs 11.5g , 90% 12.5g

Nice finds on the other stuff as well :-)

HH,
Bigheed

 

[Merc Crazy]

You don't need a scale... does it pass the sound and tissue tests?

 

[hokiemojo]

sorry for my ignorance, but what do you mean by dip it?

 

[fistfulladirt]

I think I'm tone deaf, and wish I had scales. Here's another side profile.

 

[agme]

I think I'm tone deaf, and wish I had scales. Here's another side profile.

Hey FFD, first, nice find.
Any possability you might be able to post another pic just like that but with a couple of halfs beside it to compare it too? Maybe a modern clad proof and a regular half with a good rim?
Thanks if you can. Also, more info on "the dip" would be cool. HH

 

[Merc Crazy]

That rim sure looks like silver. Tissue test it!

 

[Canadian hunter]

Very beautiful proof. I believe that it is either a 40% or a 90% but I am more inclined towards the 90%.
An unusual find, maybe it was struck on silver, 1970 intended planchet? Who knows...it is similar to the 1965 quarter and dime being struck on silver leftover planchets.

 

[namster]

Sound test would be telling. The 40% proofs/NIFCs I have all have a more white silver appearance on the face where this one seems more nickel.

 

[ArkieBassMan]

In the pic, I believe I see what looks like the good ol' mostly copper rim of a clad proof, although for whatever reason it is very faint. If it flunks the sound test, it pretty much has to be just an unusual looking clad proof.

 

[madwest]

From the picture, it looks silver to me. If it is plated, weighing it might be slightly misleading but that is where I would start. It would need a heavy plating to significantly affect the weight. Why isn't XRF affordable? It would be the ideal for this instance.

 

[usandthem]

I vote for clad. Weigh it.

 

[OtraVez]

I think 40%. I have several 68s that have a similar rim.

 

[SilverForBrains]

I'm confused, you say you decided to dip it and wish you had taken a before picture. sound to me like you plated it and then took a picture. from the responses here it sounds like that was a genuine picture wondering whether or not it was struck on a silver planchet.

well, since I rarely follow up on singular threads, I'll just give you my answers despite what yours will be.


if that is the natural side of the coin - looks like a solid silver rim to me. do a density test if you have access to a scale and any sort of volume measuring device. that would be real cool. sounds like you've been doing this long enough to know a plated rim so I'll assume that's not the case

if you plated it - nice work! while I hate getting plated coins I also love it.

 

[namster]

Clad, thats my guess, unless the OP is able to post a vid/wav file of the sound this coin makes when struck against a hard surface.

 

[fistfulladirt]

I'm confused, you say you decided to dip it and wish you had taken a before picture. sound to me like you plated it and then took a picture. from the responses here it sounds like that was a genuine picture wondering whether or not it was struck on a silver planchet.

well, since I rarely follow up on singular threads, I'll just give you my answers despite what yours will be.


if that is the natural side of the coin - looks like a solid silver rim to me. do a density test if you have access to a scale and any sort of volume measuring device. that would be real cool. sounds like you've been doing this long enough to know a plated rim so I'll assume that's not the case

if you plated it - nice work! while I hate getting plated coins I also love it.

SFB, I did not plate it. I submersed for a few seconds in a chem-dip. The condition of the coin was so poor, (including dirty edge, I passed it up edge-searching), that I figured I had nothing to lose by dipping. I was suprised to see the silver edge afterwards.
If it is plated, the cameo portion would have to have been masked first. I've seen many plated coins, I don't know how it could also retain the mirrored field after plating, unless of course only the edge is plated.

 

[sagittarius98]

Looks like my 2011 silver proof half. It could be a plated edge, though.

 

[TimZim]

Silver proof!!

 

[fistfulladirt]

For those interested, I present the tissue test.

Left side, regular clad half and the '71 proof.
Right side, 40 and 90% silver.

 

[skelly9131]

This is the first I've heard of the tissue test. What exactly is it, how is it done, and what does it prove?