Half Cent



I find a lot of loose change in books, I usually just throw it in the cash register. However, this morning a penny fell out of a paperback and instead of the usual coin-hitting-the-floor sound, I heard a "pink."

I tracked down the penny and was surprised to see it was empty on the other side. I can't image what the purpose of this half coin might be.

Found in "Bush Baby" by Martin Woodhouse. Published by Berkley, 1969.

-Click to enlarge photos-

4 comments:

  1. I wonder if these people could help you: http://conecaonline.org/

    (The Combined Organizations of Numismatic Error Collectors of America)

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  2. Check with your local numismatics. If this is a real penny that came from the mint and was improperly cast it could be valuable.

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  3. If by "empty on the other side" you mean hollowed out, it's probably half of a hollow "spy" coin, used for caching small things.

    Here's an article on BoingBoing about hollow nickels, and hiding microSD cards in them:
    http://boingboing.net/2010/02/16/hollow-spy-coins-for.html

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  4. It's a magic trick. Place a dime underneath, and you can amaze your friends by turning that penny lying on your palm into a dime just by passing your other hand over it briefly. I had one when I was a kid.

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