Double Headed Coins

[Guest cinnamonsticks]

I just happened upon this website and thought I'd ask you what I've been dying to know for ages.

I have a double headed coin (not sure what as it doesn't say) that is predecimalisation and my question is: Do double headed/tailed coins that make it out of the Mint have much value in collecting circles?

My Grandfather found it in his pocket some thirty years ago and was offered ten pounds for it, but decided to hold onto it and it got passed down to me. I have been told by a shop that specialises in coins that it isn't worth anything at all. Even if this is the case that fact will never take away from the curiosity it rouses in me.

Thank you.

[josie]

There is fake.

A picture will help for the expert.

If it is real depends on what market.

Here is a website.

http://www.byersnc.com/errorsotherworld.html

[Guest cinnamonsticks]

Thanks for that.

It turns out that my Dad only spoke to someone on the phone and he said even if it was real it wasn't worth much, but that website leads me to believe it might be worth a bit more than nothing. I won't get my hopes up because it could very well be a fake.

I'll get a photo made up as soon as I can.

[Chris Perkins]

I get quite a few enquiries about double headed coins and I've never ever actually confirmed the existence of one that hasn't been cleverly machined from 2 normal coins.

Normally they're not joined together at the rim, one coin is hollowed out with the rim (and usually the beading) un-touched and the other is reduced drastically in size and inserted into the shallow hole. The beads and border hide the join and the edge looks as it should.

Your grandfather should have taken the £10 thirty years ago! I'll eat my hat if it's a real error coin.

[josie]

The side of the coin or its edge is important.also the obverse and the reverse.

Other glued other coin to have a double head or tail and other saying a magic coin dont know what that means.

Edited March 4, 2008 by josie

[Hussulo]

Yes. As said a lot of them are fakes, however there are some genuine ones. The genuine ones are often referred to as errors but in actual fact they are more mule's. You could not produce one in the mint by error as you need to have two matching dies in place.

British ones are rare, some European ones are more common. Like the Euro cent I own.

I have also got a Thailand one baht with two obverse images.

There are some British examples for sale at Northeast Numismatics with prices ranging from $1650 to $6500. Link below.

http://www.northeastcoin.com/inventory.jsp

If you can post any large detailed pictures of it and the edge we could have a look, but the chances and odds lean to it being a fake.

All the best,

Hus

[basecamp]

I got excited by this Victoria penny with two old heads amazingly I have since found another Victoria penny dated 1898 with two reverses - Chris put me right and its clear by this image how two coins have been machined down and glued together - cow glue if I remember correctly. Anyway the two coins are now sitting in a box labled 'pants'!!!

[Chris Perkins]

Watch you don't confuse that for the box labelled 'pants' that actually contains your pants! ;-)

Quite often they are not as obvious as that. One coin is often hollowed out and the other reduced in thickness and diameter and glued in the hollowing in the first coin.

[Hussulo]

On the subject of two headed coins.

A while ago I bought one raw on the Bay (pretty cheap too) but I was sure it was genuine. So with the help of someone I know in the US I sent it off to NGC to get their opinion, and I was very happy when I found out they agreed.

Ok it's not British, but I still think its quite cool.

Edited April 30, 2008 by Hussulo