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Double sided Irish pound coin

  • 27-09-2013 11:17am
    #1
    MissC_2009
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2 ✭


    Hi guys, not sure if you can help me - I have recently come across an Irish punt coin dated 1990 that was owned by my Grandmother - it has the date & the harp on both sides - just wondering if it would be worth anything as it is the same print on both sides? Any info would be greatly appreciated!


Comments

  • #2
    gobnaitolunacy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,073 ✭✭✭gobnaitolunacy


    Think you might have two normal coins that were doctored by someone for a party trick.

    The U.S. Mint (and most other world mints) have built-in protections against accidentally making coins that have the improper die rotation or die setup. The shaft of the dies are made to be a certain size and shape, so that they will only fit into the coin presses a certain way. Dies that have the "heads" (or obverse) design on them have shafts of one shape (perhaps square,) while the dies with the "tails" (or reverse) have a different shaped shaft (perhaps round.) Since you can't put a square shaft into a round hole, this prevents the mint workers from accidently making two-headed (or two-tailed) coins.


  • #3
    Blade
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Music Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,499 Mod ✭✭✭✭Blade


    gobnaitolunacy wrote: »
    Think you might have two normal coins that were doctored by someone for a party trick.

    Quite possibly, but some photos would help determine that. Particularly of the edge of the coin as these had a security engrailing which would show if there was any tampering.


  • #4
    MissC_2009
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2 ✭MissC_2009


    Thanks for your reply folks, it definitely doesn't look like 2 coins pressed together (which was my first thought) & the side is exactly like a normal pound coin. I will get some pictures up tomorrow.


  • #5
    gobnaitolunacy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,073 ✭✭✭gobnaitolunacy


    It usually involves hollowing out one coin, keeping the edge intact and machining down the other one to fit in.

    In any case if mints cannot physically make one, it's worth nothing, unless you like conning your friends by making bets and flipping it. :)


  • #6
    Blade
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Music Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 4,499 Mod ✭✭✭✭Blade


    gobnaitolunacy wrote: »
    It usually involves hollowing out one coin, keeping the edge intact and machining down the other one to fit in.

    I see... surely you'd see some sort of tampering though on close inspection? Even if it is fake, someone obviously went to a lot of trouble so I think it would still be a cool item to have, just not worth a whole lot.


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  • #7
    gobnaitolunacy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,073 ✭✭✭gobnaitolunacy


    http://www.coinnews.net/2007/10/04/two-headed-coins-are-flops-in-value-but-cute-as-pranks-3587/

    http://coins.about.com/od/errorcoinsdievarieties/qt/two_headed_coin.htm

    two-headed coins are made by hollowing out the center of one coin, leaving the reeded edge and heads side intact, and then shaving down a second coin so that it fits snugly inside the shell of the first. You need a fair amount of skill at metalworking to accomplish this, not to mention all of the proper tools, but the result is a clever deception that is hard to detect with the naked eye.


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