1836 Liberty head half cent, missing back?

[Mark Bird]

I came across an article today about that super rare gold piece find and it got me to dig out the coin collection to see if anyone had any information about this odd piece I got probably 20 years ago as a kid. I think my father paid $18 for it at the time, but we both liked it because it was odd... we questioned whether it really could have left the mint this way but never thought much more about it. The markings which are visible on the blank side in one of the pictures don't look like anything I see when I google "mint blanks" or any other search term combination so I don't have high hopes that there's much actually authentic about this.

What is everyone's opinion on this? With a membership being $25 and having not even paid that much for the coin, I am curious, but I am not quite that curious just yet. I'd like to have it valued if it's a really unique piece, or basically if it's worth the $25 membership plus the cost to ship it in.

Apologies for the pictures, they are the best I can do with the lighting in my kitchen and an iPhone.

Thanks!

 

 

[WoodenJefferson]

I have a feeling that this was the beginning of a 'love token' that was never finished. The weight would disclose this.

[JIM F.]

Looks like file marks on the back. The start of a love token seems plausible.  

[WoodenJefferson]

...maybe had second thoughts, hmmmmm, is she worth more than 1/2 cent, then chose another denomination.

[Mark Bird]

Shoot, in my research at work today I saw a lot of these oddities on scales. I don’t have anything in the house I could use to get an accurate weight.

Until I can sort that out, and I’ll go hit Wikipedia in a bit, but what’s a love token? I’m assuming like a necklace/medallion thing set into metal eventually?

If that’s really the case then it sucks it never got finished.

 

 

 

[Mark Bird]

1 minute ago, WoodenJefferson said:

...maybe had second thoughts, hmmmmm, is she worth more than 1/2 cent, then chose another denomination.

Haha! Yes, I’ve been there myself so on the... flip side of the coin so to speak... maybe he was happy to leave it alone!

[MarkFeld]

2 hours ago, Mark Bird said:

I came across an article today about that super rare gold piece find and it got me to dig out the coin collection to see if anyone had any information about this odd piece I got probably 20 years ago as a kid. I think my father paid $18 for it at the time, but we both liked it because it was odd... we questioned whether it really could have left the mint this way but never thought much more about it. The markings which are visible on the blank side in one of the pictures don't look like anything I see when I google "mint blanks" or any other search term combination so I don't have high hopes that there's much actually authentic about this.

What is everyone's opinion on this? With a membership being $25 and having not even paid that much for the coin, I am curious, but I am not quite that curious just yet. I'd like to have it valued if it's a really unique piece, or basically if it's worth the $25 membership plus the cost to ship it in.

Apologies for the pictures, they are the best I can do with the lighting in my kitchen and an iPhone.

Thanks!

 

 

Welcome to the forum. Your coin started life as a Large Cent, not a Half Cent.

An 1836 Half Cent would have a different obverse design and 1836 was a Proof-only issue.

[WoodenJefferson]

With nothing to show scale, good sleuth work there Mark.

[MarkFeld]

1 hour ago, WoodenJefferson said:

With nothing to show scale, good sleuth work there Mark.

I appreciate it, but that’s giving me undue credit. As I mentioned in my previous post, 1836 Half Cents are a different design from Large Cents of that year. See here: https://www.ngccoin.com/coin-explorer/classic-head-half-cents-1809-1836-pscid-9/1836-original-1-2c-pf-coinid-11207

 

[coinman1794]

On April 24, 2018 at 7:37 PM, MarkFeld said:

Welcome to the forum. Your coin started life as a Large Cent, not a Half Cent.

An 1836 Half Cent would have a different obverse design and 1836 was a Proof-only issue.

It started as a cent, but today it's only half a cent 

[dleonard-3]

I'm pretty sure my belt sander would do a pretty good job of removing the reverse details like this.  Maybe it's a half cent now, because the back half is missing............:-)

 

[dleonard-3]

Here is what the back of that coin should have looked like