1906 Indian head steel penny. Anybody else ever seen one? 0

[Brandon Owenby]

So I found a very small collection of coin in s old house I was cleaning out and there were maybe 35-40 buffalo Nickels and the Liberty nickels as well. While I’m looking there was a somewhat easy to spot catch in the top and that is where I found a 1906 steel penny. I thought it was a dime first. A magnet picks it right up and the engravings are somewhat sharp. Can anybody tell me anything about it especially if it’s worth anything. Lol.

[James_OldeTowne]

Replica, perhaps?  Show us a photo or two.

[Brandon Owenby]

No I don’t think so this was in a box that had nothing but 1900-1932 coins in it and a revolutionary war bayonet, but you guys know better than I. Here are some pictures.

[Brandon Owenby]

Not allowing me to send the reverse side of coin I think I have to wait to be able to reply again 

Edited July 14, 2020 by Brandon Owenby

[Brandon Owenby]

There it goes let me know what you think.

[Moxie15]

Hello, Ratzie33??

[Brandon Owenby]

Hey 

[VKurtB]

Almost certainly a (heavily) plated coin, but it all depends on HOW magnetic it is. I'm trying to figure how a steel planchet would get into the production shop in 1906, and I'm coming up empty so far. There are easy ways to test it for being plated, but most would destroy it. Put it aside for other opinions.

[Brandon Owenby]

It picks it up off the table that’s how magnetic it’s not copper at all looking it looks like a dime I thought it was a dime until I looked at it and I heard on a guy on YouTube that was discussing the history of a few Indian heads and he said in 1907 they did ask if you steal Indian head pennies which I didn’t know anything about but that’s why it was sad I’m thinking maybe one of the plant hits wasPrematurely stamped with the steel 1907 planchet so I can figure I’m taking it to a dealer right now but they wanted to buy it right off but I have no idea on white or even price It at. If it’s anything like just say for instance like the 43’s the ones that got messed up with copper and steel and it’s like that but maybe only you know a few of a kind or hell maybe even one of a kind watch that worth I mean it seems unheard of I can’t even fathom it but still if that is the case what is that worth?

[Moxie15]

it is some kind of trick coin,Ratzie. Did you make it?

[Greenstang]

First of all, don't believe everything you see on YouTube about coins.

Second, where would a steel planchet the size of a cent come from? They did not mint any Foreign coins in steel. The only steel cent is the 1943 wartime cent. If you strongly believe you have something here, send it off to TPG to be graded because untill it is verified as a genuine error, it will still be worth one cent.

My opinion until proved otherwise is that it is probably nickel plated to be made into some form of jewellery.

Edited July 14, 2020 by Greenstang
Correct typo

[kbbpll]

That's a mouthful.

There is a 1906 cent struck on a dime planchet, but that wouldn't be magnetic, and the design would be closer to the rim. The US made a lot of coins for foreign countries but I can't think of any that were steel in 1906. I'd have to guess it's either plated or fake.

[VKurtB]

22 minutes ago, kbbpll said:

That's a mouthful.

There is a 1906 cent struck on a dime planchet, but that wouldn't be magnetic, and the design would be closer to the rim. The US made a lot of coins for foreign countries but I can't think of any that were steel in 1906. I'd have to guess it's either plated or fake.

Yup. The least likely thing it is, is what you think it is.

[JKK]

41 minutes ago, Brandon Owenby said:

It picks it up off the table that’s how magnetic it’s not copper at all looking it looks like a dime I thought it was a dime until I looked at it and I heard on a guy on YouTube that was discussing the history of a few Indian heads and he said in 1907 they did ask if you steal Indian head pennies which I didn’t know anything about but that’s why it was sad I’m thinking maybe one of the plant hits wasPrematurely stamped with the steel 1907 planchet so I can figure I’m taking it to a dealer right now but they wanted to buy it right off but I have no idea on white or even price It at. If it’s anything like just say for instance like the 43’s the ones that got messed up with copper and steel and it’s like that but maybe only you know a few of a kind or hell maybe even one of a kind watch that worth I mean it seems unheard of I can’t even fathom it but still if that is the case what is that worth?

What does this post have in common with pregnancy?

[RWB]

If it is strongly attracted to a magnet, there is the small possibility it is pure nickel. (The coin has to 'jump' at the magnet.) The US Mint did not have any use for steel planchets in 1906, but pure nickel was used for some experiments in 1896 and piles of these critters were sitting around the Philadelphia Mint until about 1910 when they were melted into a blob.

[VKurtB]

10 minutes ago, RWB said:

melted into a blob

There's a photo I'd like to see.

[RWB]

1 minute ago, VKurtB said:

There's a photo I'd like to see.

No photos known - just a couple of letters.The melted experimental pieces were sold for scrap.

[VKurtB]

1 minute ago, RWB said:

No photos known - just a couple of letters.The melted experimental pieces were sold for scrap.

Darn, 97 years before the first iPhone. "Missed it by THAT much."

[Brandon Owenby]

Replying to the guy that asked if I made it no sir I did not I wouldn’t know how to go about it I just left the jewelers course I don’t think he knew anything but he said it might be a replica it’s been in circulation apparently because I mean it’s been rubbed off it was in a box with other coins from the 30s in a sealed compartment in the sealed compartment that don’t mean nothing but still I am the old man that live there was collecting these coins I found a few not double stamped but stamped once and then stamped crookedOn a buffalo nickel and a bunch other messed up ones I don’t know how this is I don’t know what it’s made of I don’t know anything but it is a penny from 1906 and I sincerely do not believe that is a replica why would they replicate a 1906 penny I don’t make sense and two why would it be a forgery I didn’t forget I know the old man didn’t forget because he was a farmer I guess he could’ve got somebody to do it that takes time scale I meant I’ll kind of mess. Enter the one guy that I think recommended me melting it down and no I’m not gonna do that because whatever this thing is it was a mistake and it’s got to be worth something does it matter if they have records I’m sure they didn’t have records of a lot of these things that came out until they dug into him but I will see if it will jump off the table it might just be the tan in it TINSorry if some of the words are messed up auto correct.

[kbbpll]

17 minutes ago, Brandon Owenby said:

why would they replicate a 1906 penny

The Chinese fake literally everything these days. I just went to "that website", and yup, 1906 fake cent for sale, $1.17, free shipping. So, "why would they" doesn't apply.

People have been plating coins forever. That's still my first guess. There seem to be bubbles all over the reverse.

[VKurtB]

27 minutes ago, Brandon Owenby said:

Replying to the guy that asked if I made it no sir I did not I wouldn’t know how to go about it I just left the jewelers course I don’t think he knew anything but he said it might be a replica it’s been in circulation apparently because I mean it’s been rubbed off it was in a box with other coins from the 30s in a sealed compartment in the sealed compartment that don’t mean nothing but still I am the old man that live there was collecting these coins I found a few not double stamped but stamped once and then stamped crookedOn a buffalo nickel and a bunch other messed up ones I don’t know how this is I don’t know what it’s made of I don’t know anything but it is a penny from 1906 and I sincerely do not believe that is a replica why would they replicate a 1906 penny I don’t make sense and two why would it be a forgery I didn’t forget I know the old man didn’t forget because he was a farmer I guess he could’ve got somebody to do it that takes time scale I meant I’ll kind of mess. Enter the one guy that I think recommended me melting it down and no I’m not gonna do that because whatever this thing is it was a mistake and it’s got to be worth something does it matter if they have records I’m sure they didn’t have records of a lot of these things that came out until they dug into him but I will see if it will jump off the table it might just be the tan in it TINSorry if some of the words are messed up auto correct.

Take a breath. Punctuation is your friend.

[Just Bob]

First - Welcome to the forum.

Next - understand that we get a lot of people on here who post all sorts of fanciful coins and tokens that are anything but normal, and they expect us to automatically know exactly what is going on with their coin. (Not saying that is the case here - just explaining why some replies might seem a bit testy or short.) Some pieces are fake, some are merely damaged, some are real. It takes time and, usually, several questions and lots of information (and good pictures) to figure out most of the unusual ones - and yours is certainly unusual. So, that being said, you can help us to help you by using capitalization at the beginning of your sentences, and periods at the ends. Proper spelling helps a bunch, too. I honestly am having a hard time trying to decipher what you are trying to say in your above posts, but I and others would certainly love to help you get to the bottom of this mystery.

So far we have determined that there are actual Chinese fakes of 1906 cents out there, and there were also some pure nickel planchets (blanks) around in 1906 that could have accidentally gotten into the planchet bin. There is also the possibility that it could be plated. Chances are that it is not steel, since there were no known steel planchets back then, and it is not rusted (very important clue).

So, the next step, in my opinion, would be to take it to someone who has an XRF analyzer, and see if they can figure out the metal content. Short of that, you could try weighing it (in grams) and posting the weight here (to the thousandths.) Obtaining the specific gravity would also be helpful, I would think. Some members here may be able to determine the metal content using that information, or at least rule out certain metals.

[VKurtB]

Who has these XRF analyzers and why? Aren't they fabulously expensive?

 

Perhaps our OP is doing voice rather than typing.  I highly do NOT recommend that. If you must, there are ways to include punctuation, as my physician does. Try to learn those techniques.

Edited July 14, 2020 by VKurtB

[Just Bob]

57 minutes ago, VKurtB said:

Who has these XRF analyzers and why? Aren't they fabulously expensive?

 

Perhaps our OP is doing voice rather than typing.  I highly do NOT recommend that. If you must, there are ways to include punctuation, as my physician does. Try to learn those techniques.

I use voice-to-text quite often when posting here. I just have to say the words "comma," "period," "question mark," in the right places

(I haven't figured out how to tell my phone to use parenthesis or quotation marks properly, though.)

[Conder101]

On 7/14/2020 at 12:39 PM, Brandon Owenby said:

It picks it up off the table that’s how magnetic

If it was a steel planchet, with a good magnet the coin will JUMP off the table to the magnet when it gets within 3/4 to a 1/2 inch of it.  With a heavy nickel plating  it you put a magnet on it it will easily pick it up off the table but it won't jump to the magnet.

 

On 7/14/2020 at 5:58 PM, Just Bob said:

(I haven't figured out how to tell my phone to use parenthesis or quotation marks properly, though.)

On my voice to text program the commands are Open parenthesis, close parenthesis and open quotes,close quotes

[JKK]

Far as I'm concerned, if people want answers, the burden is on them to be readable. Forty lines in one para without punctuation, well, I'm simply no longer reading, so they don't get answers from me. Life's too short to dig through all that.