Henning Nickel

[AGCoinHunter]

To those of you who do nickels, anyone here ever found one in a roll?

An unofficial variety of the wartime coin dated 1944 was made in 1954 when counterfeit nickels were produced by Francis LeRoy Henning of Erial, New Jersey. He had previously been arrested for counterfeiting $5 bills.

The 1944 nickels were quickly spotted since Henning neglected to add the large mintmark of the Philidelphia mint (P). He also made counterfeit nickels dated 1939, 1946, 1947 and 1953.

It is estimated that more than 100,000 of Henning's nickels reached circulation. Henning dumped another 200,000 nickels in Copper Creek, New Jersey, of which only 14,000 were recovered. Another 200,000 are thought to have been dumped in the Schuylkill River.

http://www.numismaticenquirer.com/TNE/Henning Counterfeit Nickel.html

 

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[Rich Hartford]

I've heard of them but never saw one.

 

[mistergee]

i heard of this before....this was all in my area. i'm guessing that he circulated them there as well.
i also think i have one....in the back of my mind i remember a war nickle i found and thought it curious there was no mint mark.......when i get home i'll check them all as well as my other "older" nickles.i'll get back and let you all know. thanks for the pics ....very helpfull

 

[AGCoinHunter]

From my understanding they do fetch a premium if you can verify that you have one. There are other years that are not as easily identifiable. Counterfeits also may exist in 1939, 1946, 1947, and possibly 1953. I was going through nickels the other night and found a 44 with no mintmark on the back. I was under the impression that they all were war nickels with the mark on the back. I havent had time to go back and check this particular coin but ran accross this on another forum and wondered if anyone else had found the same thing here. Would be nice to get one, interesting part of history.

 

[rockdude]

I picked up some coins from my brother. He had one marked 'counterfeit junk'. Did a little investigating, it's a henning.

 

[jim4silver]

How are the Henning nickels that are not war nickels identified?

Also, if a person owned one/tried to sell one wouldn't it be subject to seizure by the secret service since it is "counterfeit"?

Jim

 

[cedarratt]

Yes the Secret Service could Seize it however they mostly go after more modern Counterfeits.

 

[mrbelvetron]

How are the Henning nickels that are not war nickels identified?

Also, if a person owned one/tried to sell one wouldn't it be subject to seizure by the secret service since it is "counterfeit"?

Jim

If one sold the piece as a known and acknowledged counterfeit, I believe it is okay, just make sure you disclose the fakeness. That's for older, contemporary counterfeits.

If one was made say tomorrow or anytime recently, it must have the word copy or replica stamped somewhere on the coin.


If I'm wrong someone will come along and correct shortly....

 

[Ju8vP3t]

I'd think too, it wouldn't be an issue as long as you don't have a dump truck full of 'em , I doubt the SS is going to spend the time and resources to come after someone for 5 cents ...

 

[mick56]

I'd think too, it wouldn't be an issue as long as you don't have a dump truck full of 'em , I doubt the SS is going to spend the time and resources to come after someone for 5 cents ...

Our government would never do anything as dumb as that!

 

[AGCoinHunter]

Nice, a 44 without a mintmark. Cool find. I am still searching for one.

 

[cyberdan]

If one sold the piece as a known and acknowledged counterfeit, I believe it is okay, just make sure you disclose the fakeness. That's for older, contemporary counterfeits.

I posted about mine a week or so ago.

My favorite coin dealer gave me a coin a couple of weeks ago and pointed out to me even if he sold it for 25¢ he could go to prison.

It was a 1909 S vdb lincoln in fantastic shape.
That was my 5th counterfit coin in my collection.

Last week I added another. Someone copied a 1950 Washington quarter and made a bolo slide out of it. Looks like it was mass produced. It only has "heads"

 

[AGCoinHunter]

How are the Henning nickels that are not war nickels identified?

Also, if a person owned one/tried to sell one wouldn't it be subject to seizure by the secret service since it is "counterfeit"?

Jim

Jim to answer your first question, there are some traits to his dies that are on each of the counterfits. One I know of on the reverse a small hole in leg of the letter (R) in the word Pluribus. Have seen a few of these posted online. Some of the others are very poorly struck coins that have unsual surface with bumps and other non-mint produced traits.