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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[Canadian hunter]

^ Agreed, although there are virtually no halves in the wild north, it would be a helpful info for many of us.

 

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[sagittarius98]

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

I also never heard about it. A quick Google search revealed this:

eBay Guides - Is my coin a Silver coin A QUICK TEST to find out

 

[Dok Holliday]

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

It is based on the reflectivity of nickel and silver. Silver will show up more "white" through the tissue, where the nickel on the surface of a CU-NI clad coin will show up as a grey, as shown in the photo.

 

[BuffaloBoy]

ok folks, let me tell ya the truth now... it is not silver... not 90%, not even 40%... it is a dipped half dollar or of some sort... kind of like gold plating the halves but only "silver plating" them...
when you get a nice gold plated half dollar, the edge looks gold, right? the details are sharp and perfect right? but it is still a normal clad... 1970 is the last year 40% silvers were made, and if you really want, you can distinguish the sound from a drop test... 40% silvers have a different "high ping" when dropped compared to a clad, and a 90% silver has a "heavy ping" compared to a clad.

stop thinking too hard
hope this helps,
Buff

 

[CoinFetcher]

Seriously, what buff said.

Also, buy a scale that can do to 1/10, or 1/100 gram. This will help

I have amazon prime, they are 18 bucks. PM me if you need me to order you one. It will be there tomorrow.

 

[Merc Crazy]

Dipping something in a very mild chemical bath isn't going to strip the copper off the side of it. This was either struck on a screwed up planchet sandwich (Ever see a '65 quarter or dime that looks all silver from the side, but is clearly clad?) or it's 40% silver. It's not impossible to think and see a leftover planchet from 1970 kicking around in a bin somewhere and an absent-minded mint employee tossing it into a pallet full of planchets on their way into the proof run. It's happened plenty of times before, and there are several known examples of '71's struck on 40% silver planchets. Is it unlikely? Absolutely. Is it impossible? Nope.

It's not plated. No way, no how. Plated coins don't maintain their cameo's like this one has. The only other thing that jumps to mind is that someone took a silver sharpie or something to the edge of it to make it look silver... there's someone around here who marks their halves like that. Irritating.

 

[fistfulladirt]

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?

Sure, or kind of. Top: 40/prf/40 Bottom: 90/prf/40

 

[Merc Crazy]

Dude, tissue test that thing. It takes like, 2 minutes.

You should also be able to tell by sound, I don't know why people drag these threads out instead of just gently dropping it onto a wooden surface and listening to the noise it makes.

 

[fistfulladirt]

Dude, tissue test that thing. It takes like, 2 minutes.
I don't know why people drag these threads out

I know! I can't believe this has dragged on this long, and I'm not helping! I knew this wasn't silver when I first dropped it. And it is not plated, although it was dipped. I posted the tissue test previously today, hopefully it's educational.

 

[Merc Crazy]

I know! I can't believe this has dragged on this long, and I'm not helping! I knew this wasn't silver when I first dropped it. And it is not plated, although it was dipped. I posted the tissue test previously today, hopefully it's educational.

Ahh, I didn't see it on the prior page... so if it doesn't look like silver and it doesn't sound like silver, it's probably just a messed up planchet where the copper core was simply "sandwiched" over by the nickel. Weighing it will get you an answer for sure, but my best guess is that's the case... would have been fairly common in '71 which would be the first year they were using CUNI planchets for halves. Given that and the additional striking pressure and actual strikes that proofs receive... case closed.