1974 Half Dollar - Possibly Struck on wrong planchet?

It's not silver, it's not magnetic, it does not appear to be silver plated or chromed. It's thick like a proof half and weighs in at 12 grams +.

Here are a few pictures, let me know what you guys think. I could not figure it out and was thinking maybe it's struck on some sort of nickel based planchet.


HOTN

 

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I haven't the slightest idea. What is the diameter. It looks a tiny bit larger.

Chris

 

I'll check and see, it does "seem" just a bit larger in diameter. I might have to bring it into work and get the micrometer out.
HOTN

 

Diameter can't be bigger than a normal half unless there is a bilateral split collar, which from the pictures doesn't look the case, and even then the diameter usually isn't significantly larger. It has the reeding in place. So measuring the diameter is meaningless. The only thing I could see that would come close to being minted on a foreign planchet is a Dominican Republic 50 Centavos and Philadelphia didn't mint those until several years after 1974. Normal weight is 11.50 grams, close to within tolerance of normal half dollar. May just be rolled thick or may just be a normal half that's been plated to hide the copper core while at the same time, adding some extra weight. Probably just plated.

 

My inital post was incorrect , I was using the date 1972.

After a bit more research the only coin I can come up with for 1974 that matches somewhat would be the

1974 Philippines 1 Piso. It is 33mm & copper/Nickel

I'd get it certified ,if you do so state that it was stuck on that particular demom. or the TPG will just verify its content & simply lable it "struck of a foreign planchet"

I'm probably incorrect but here is a list of the foreign coins minted by the US that may help your research- by Tim Ziebarth

 

In addition here is a pic of a Piso,a clad Kennedy & a 40% Kennedy rim to rim . Also a pic of a 1974 Piso that was struck on a Kennedy planchet so there definately is a possibility for it to happen.

 

That Piso looks to very similar in diamater to a US Half dollar. Do you know of such and error of a US Half being struck on a Piso planchet?
HOTN

 

I just checked and it seems the Piso weighs 14.28 grams, mine only weighs 12 + grams. That pretty much kills that idea. I thought I had found something good there.

 

Pisos can be struck on Kennedy half planchets but not vice versa. I have 4 of them and mine look like the one slabbed in the prior post. Your coin is most likely plated. Doesn't match anything struck on foreign blanks as I stated before.

 

I have seen Eisenhower dollars struck on Pisos so why not Kennedys ? Curious ,is the collar that tight ?

Zimmy is most likey correct , the odds of plating are more favorable that the coin being struck on a foreing planchet but Im one for exploring all options.

 

The collar determines the final size of the coin. The planchet is typically about .1 mm or smaller than the collar so the Piso palnchet would be larger than the Kennedy collar. It won't fit into the collar and it will not pass through the feeding tubes on the press.

 

Just an update, I took a file to the coin and it revealed a copper edge. I tossed it in my kids piggy bank and she's $0.50 richer. Too bad it was not some cool error coin, I'll keep on looking.
Thanks for all your help, it must have been plated.
HOTN