Oldhoopster

Nice concise summary paragraphs. Sounds like an interesting topic that hasn't received much research. Take this for what it's worth, I think the term "newly-minted numismatists" is kind of cheesy. Maybe it's just me, but throwing a dad joke into some serious scholarship doesn't seem right, but then again, it is kind if clever. Just my opinion.

As @Woods020 said, it's a novelty item. The secondary market is limited to non-existent for things like this. If you have info to show it's gold and not gold plated, you'll at least have bullion value. Sorry for the bad news

I agree with it being a Chinese fake. Look at the rims and the big divot in STATES for starters

Looks like stray marks and stains. As far as I know, the US didn't mint any coins for other countries at Denver in 2014

Agree with @J P Mashoke Environmental Damage. Maybe acid or some other type of corrosive. Regardless of the cause, it isn't a mint error

My bad about the Maris/Miller mix up. Another reminder that one shouldn't post after partaking in the consumption of adult beverages

I regularly participate on CT and collectors universe (PCGS) as well as here. Each has its pluses and minuses. IMO, you should definitely spend some time on all 3 getting to know the type of information that is being posted. Also, IMO, you really need to determine if they are providing the information that is helping you to learn about the hobby. Every site has it's blowhards, and know-it-alls. You also have people who will only post negative comments about the other sites because they have an axe to grind (you can figure out who, by reading through this thread). There is no rule that says you can't be an active participant on other sites, so spend some time at all of them. I try to avoid saying negative things about other sites. IMO, we are all capable of figuring out their merits and shortcomings without kibitzing from the peanut gallery

It's a nice CT copper. Somebody should be able to look up the Maris attribution (I won't have access to my books for about a week, or I would see if I could ID it for you). I wouldn't worry about the labeling mistake. I'm sure if you contact NGC, they would reholder it, but you may get stuck with postage. I love stuff like this because when I try to attribute it, I end up learning something about the the series and the history of the time period which makes me dig deeper and learn more It might be a good start for a budget Colonial type set. (I know, too many interesting collecting topics, not enough time and money. That's the story of my collecting life) Edit to add You may have a modestly priced coin, but the knowledge you'll gain from digging into the history is extremely valuable, IMO. Coins come and go, but the knowledge stays with you.

It appears to be made by a private mint similar to the Franklin Mint or Sunshine Mint. There isn't a lot of collector interest in many private mint medals/Medallions/tokens because they aren't official issues. If you like it, then that's great, however, just be aware that the secondary market is almost non-existent if it's not gold or silver. The research you posted sounds like somebody trying to hype it to sell on a web site. No info on the mint, who commissioned it, composition, etc

It's information like this, that makes the numismatic chat boards worth it. A big shout out to @leeg , @RWB , @DWLange and others who do the research, wade through the sources like the National Archives and NNP, and but it all together for so the rest of us can benefit. Whenever I think I know a lot about numismatics, threads like this come along to remind me of how much I don't know about the history and background. Thanks

I think it's raised, therefore a die crack. The lighting seems to give the illusion that it's recessed. Just my thoughts

The anomalies on your coin are due to a worn die, as others have said and are generally not considered errors. I recommend that you refrain from calling out members until you have a good understanding of the minting and die making process. Even though some members can be short with their responses, many are extremely knowledgeable numismatists. The joys of internet chat boards.

Years ago, I noticed I had a decent accumulation of German 1873-1945), Australian, Irish, Philippines and a few others, so I organized them, bought or made albums (holding 2x2s in 20 pocket pages), put together a list of dates needed and take that list to shows. it's a fun side project to do on the cheap.

They also make a fun date set collection. Approx 1903-1945 half centavo to Peso. Many of the non-silver examples are reasonably priced in circulated grades and you can still find some in dealer junk boxes, cheap. I've been doing this as a side project for a number of years and probably have over 80% of the holes filled

I don't think it is a one if a kind piece A clash occurs when the dies come together without a planchet. The high speed minting process is going to continue running until an operator notices the damage and pulls the die. I'm not sure of the press speed for minting 1973 halves, but it is probably multiple coins per second, so there should be others out there. The value of your coin is due to the strong, visible clashes, not a low number of known examples.

I believe the plating is 100% copper vs the old 95% alloy. Maybe that might make a difference

What about Exalted Grand Poobah of the Loyal Order of Double Eagles? Coin dealer is just fine for me. After a brief interaction, it's usually apparent if the person is a coin dealer/numismatist or coin dealer/salesman. Just my opinion

Usually looking at the 2 is the easiest for me, but it took a couple hits on your coin. However, the top loop of the 8 indicates it's a large date

Agree. This couldn't happen during the minting process. The raised edge is due to displaced metal from whatever grinding method was used on the coin after it left the mint. Sorry, but it's not an error

First part of your reply was inappropriate, IMO. Keep it to numismatics

Other than the fee paid, how is asking JA for his opinion on a slabbed coin any different than asking a respected dealer or numismatist? If I post a pic and ask what the group thinks, does that also mean that the finalizer is irrelevant? I'm not saying CAC is good or bad, just trying to understand why you keep pushing your disdain for something that the hobby appears to have embraced. Knowledge is power. The more proficient you are at grading, the better chance you'll have of buying great coins that will be easy to resell when the time comes. if you have a solid coin, a good dealer will know it regardless of if it's slabbed, beaned, or whatever. They still may lowball you, but if you know your stuff, you'll find a buyer. Right, wrong, or indifferent, that's how the game Is played today. You can sit in the corner and "hurumph" until the cows come home, but don't expect people to change their way if thinking because you don't like it. Just my thoughts

The silver clad spec is 11.50 +/- 0.400 gms and the regular clad is 11.34 +/- 0.454 gms. Your coin does not have an "As struck" appearance. Lots of surface irregularities. My opinion is that it's plated. When you do the XRF, look for nickel.

Wow, this is getting scary. It sounds like you may be agreeing with QA. Time to check out and make a Manhattan.

Isn't that sort of what JA provides?

We all make mistakes, however I don't think I would keep bringing this up. Sometimes best to let sleeping dogs lie. Just my opinion.