Help, IDing blank coin/token

[treblehunter]

I found this in a yard hunt down in Wildwood Crest, NJ yesterday. Looks like it is copper or brass or a combo of both. It weighs 6.6 grams, measures 23 mm and is approx. 1 mm thick. It is pretty much a smooth disc, rang in a low ninetys on my AT Pro at 2-4 inches, was about five inches down.

Thanks in advance.
Brad

 

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[Iron Patch]

Blank is blank. Unfortunately that's where it begins and ends.

 

[coachbedford]

The edge looks relatively thick-- which usually rules out a british halfpence or counterfeit. Just because it does look so thick, a 1793 to 1794 US large cent could be a possibility (wish I knew offhand if they were 23 mm diameter). Otherwise, some Connecticut coppers and mass. coppers of 1785-88 also have some thickness to them. And remember, for US large cents, 1793 to 1794 takes in 3 large cent design types-- the large cents got larger in diameter but thinner in 1795. Lastly, I've often found that a worn smooth old copper can many times yield SOME kind of clue: a letter, a digit, a fragment of visible design. In other words, hold it up under magnification, hold it so the light shines on it, hold it so shadows cast on it, turn it over in your hand, etc. P.S.-- see if you can see any lettering on the edge!

 

[DCMatt]

To have ANY chance of seeing detail on this coin, you need close-up, in-focus, straight-on (no angle) photos in natural light with a dark backgound. Use photo shop software to change the good photo to a negative image. Then play around with the contrast and brightness to bring out as much detail as possible. You may be surprised how much you can see.

DCMatt

 

[Turbo21]

Can sort of make something out on the closer pic


Also played around with the farther away pic too

 

[cudamark]

If it's slightly cupped, it could be a freeze plug.

 

[treblehunter]

Blank is blank. Unfortunately that's where it begins and ends.

Just as I figured, I was hunting with my sister in law and little great nephew. I had to try to ID it for them. I had a 1805 Hibernia that was blank, you seen two letters and ID that one. Thanks for your help.

 

[rhuntn4gold]

Some of the colonial taverns would issue trade tokens that were often just a blank piece of copper or brass. I have also seen them made of lead.

 

[coachbedford]

Doing some research, at 23 mm and 6.6 grams approximately, this piece would be too small in diameter and too light to be a US large cent-- or a 1780s state copper for that matter. And too big to be a half cent. So some kind of early US token or Hard Times token is one possibility. I hate to bring this up due to the LONG chances...but that diameter and weight ARE somewhat in line with a rare 1792 US copper cent pattern. The odds are REEEEAAALLY long against that (but stranger things have happened). Maybe if I held it in my hands something would tell me that it's a non-coin piece or definitely some kind of coin or token. On one side it's like a UFO-- I am pretty sure I see something but not sure what it is.

 

[Iron Patch]

Just as I figured, I was hunting with my sister in law and little great nephew. I had to try to ID it for them. I had a 1805 Hibernia that was blank, you seen two letters and ID that one. Thanks for your help.

That's the thing... if there's detail you can couple that with the diameter and weight to have a shot, but blank is a non starter because of so many possibilities.