Very Strange item....

[sjohn61]

OK, this is a modern nickel (date unknown) obverse is fine, but then turn it to the face and there is this thing over it, And it won't come off!!! It fits the face of the nickel perfectly...look at side view. not sure what it's made of, but very strange. Any ideas?

 

[Ant]

May be a War Nickel in a bezel?

 

[Aarong81]

If it were a war nickel it would have a mint mark above the Monticello Building. The side of the nickel showing is the reverse(back), Jeffersons profile is on the obverse(front).
I'm guessing someone found a piece of metal that almost fit over the nickel and they tapped it into place.

 

[Aarong81]

Maybe it is not a real nickel. It looks a bit odd from the side that you can see. The lettering has very low relief and appears somewhat damaged while the flat area above Monticello is not damaged. There are also small pointed gouges near the center of Monticello that would be very difficult to make in a nickel from typical wear/tear.

 

[brianc577]

I believe this was a novelty joke item, the nickel would hold water and you could squirt people. The altered back held a small bellows, look for a tiny hole in the front. They sold these with the "tricks" at Spencers stores with items like fat powder, bugs in ice cubes, hand shake zappers.

 

[taz42o]

I think you are right Brian...

http://foliniandsons.ecrater.com/p/7545009/squirting-nickel-vintage-coin-magic

 

[sjohn61]

You nailed it.....looking very close, I found the hole....nice job! Waste of a good nickel if you ask me...

 

[JamesBondaka]

Too bad that thousands of coins were "altered" to be other things....but if you find a good one....Im sure its got some collectors value to it.

 

[Roland58]

Nice job, Brian!

 

[nge]

I have one just like it, it is called the squirting or crying nickel, there is a small hole in the "O" of Monticello.........nge

 

[ironsight]

Thought i seen it all. Now there's such a thing as a squirting nickel!