1911 "too small" - variety? error? nuthin'?

[Circa]

I have a 1911 with no mint mark that is odd in that it's "too small". 18mm in diameter, just under 1mm thick, AND still full of good detail, although at a glance you'd call it a "weak strike".

And that's the thing that catches my attention. For a penny to lose 1mm in diameter and 1mm or more in thickness just from circulation you would normally be looking at a flat blob with some hints of a former design on it. This one has good clarity - Lincoln is still dressed with hair, all letters and numbers are relatively clean, even the wheat has most of its detail present.

But when you hold a "normal" penny, say a 1944 or a 1970 or a 1939, and then hold this 1911, it feels like paper. It registers absolutely no weight in your hand.

I did my due diligence before bringing it here and found nothing, but I know that this could still be one that's laying in piles on everyone's dresser and that's why it never gets mentioned.

If this actually is some sort of oddball I will post photos, but I didn't want to waste time in advance because taking good pictures of small things taxes me.

Opinions?

[Brad]

First guess - soaked in acid. Do you have a picture?

[1sgret]

I would agree off-hand with Brad. Do you have a scale to weigh it in Grams?

[Circa]

No scale here. Like I said, it feels as light as paper.

[1sgret]

It looks as though it has seen an acid bath as Brad indicated. That's about as much as I can expound on the coin for now. If you do get scales go ahead and weigh it. Original weight would be 3.11 Grams or 48 grains.

P.S> Nice pictures, thanks!

[Circa]

Why would someone apply an acid bath to a coin with a nominal value of $5 - $20 in the best of circumstances? Is there something potentially "special" about a no-mint 1911 ? I feel like I'm missing something here, which I probably am. Please, fill me in.

[JeanK]

Maybe the coin had some corrosion and someone tried to rescue it?
Or a chemistry experiment, or just plain ignorance about how important a nice coin like that could be in someone's collection.
So many reasons why they didn't have the sense to know better.
JeanK

[laytonre]

had a different date but it looked the same sent it to bob and he confimed that it was an acid job...counld believe the detail that was still left after being in acid for so long...it quite a neat trickfor the time and effort that it takes to do this..richard
ps i would have bet monry that my was not acid dipped but it was...richard

[CCC]

Just remember that coins buried, then unearthed by a Metal Detector will look the same when it comes to copper. It does look as if it was dug up, then the Acid was applied.

[snowman]

when someone has a US coin that is a different size - it seems many like to use the word "acid" alot.

for me i like to look at what foreign coins that the US mint made on the chart over on minterrornews - i'm not sure how accurate this chart is ?

http://www.minterrornews.com/news-1-10-06-foreign_coinage_production_figures.html

I know that the mint has made billions of coins for other countries and maybe one got in the wrong bin ?

with this 1911 - its sounds similar to the Phillippines ½ centavo which were made at the Phil mint a few years before with the same size 18mm (page 43) - maybe the leftovers blanks were dumped ??

Snowman

[Brad]

I think you should send it to a professional to look at. Now that I see a picture, I'm not sure about the "acid" theory either. It doesn't hurt to get a second opinon.

[1sgret]

That's exactly why I stated that the weight needs to be known for the coin in question due to the fact it could have been struck on a wrong planchet.

I would e-mail pictures to Mike Diamond and ask his opinion. He would be more than glad to take a look at the photos.

[Circa]

I don't know who Mike Diamond is, sorry. I can take the coin to the jeweler around the corner and have it weighed later today.

Now, if this 1911 should become a strong suspect for being a "wrong planchet" error, just how big of a deal is it?

[1sgret]

It would be a nice find.

[Circa]

Back from the jeweler's. Weighs 1.80 grams, or 1.16 DWT exactly.