What's up with this coin?
I recently found a strange quarter. It’s lighter than usual, and the reeding is uneven (in some places, the edge is almost entirely copper, in others, almost entirely nickel, but both metals are on all parts of the edge). I can’t find any info on a coin error of this type. What am I looking at here? My mind jumps to "counterfeit," but I’d like a more experienced opinion.
1999 Pennsylvania State Quarter
Philadelphia Mint
seems otherwise normal for a circulated coin of this age
I doubt it is a counterfeit for it has no value except .25 cents. Without seeing it I am however guessing here. I would say it is a damaged coin and the damage was done outside the mint. Some one got bored and went to work on it.A copper/nickel state quarter does indeed weigh 5.67 grams With modern tools one can come up with some very strange looking altered coins. Also since so called error coins have a much larger following these days, people are making their own or tossing them out for people to find, just to cause problems in the ranks of collectors. Hope this helps
A normal 1999-P US State Quarter Dollar Pennsylvania should weigh 5.67 grams. The band of copper around the edge of clad coins is not always uniform, but the reeds are usually consistent. It may have been altered after leaving the mint. Take it to a coin dealer for an evaluation for it is difficult to say more without seeing the coin. I hope that helps.