Is my half dollar real if it comes apart?

Answer 1

I have a half dollar coin, the date is 1993. Everything looks normal, except I took it out of my pocket and it was in 2 pieces. The bottom part that fits in the top is a copper color coin that says one penny 1967. I can't describe the picture, but is this coin fake, or do all half dollars come apart?

AnswerI would ask myself if none of the other coins in my pocket come apart, and none of them have a completely different date AND denomination on each side, why should I conclude that this sort-of half dollar is somehow "normal"?

For starters you could always type the words "half dollar" into some major search site and get lots of pictures to see if your coin looks like any of them. I'm betting none will, because what you have is a variation on those (in)famous two-headed "magician's coins" that show up in change all the time and cause so many misunderstandings.

The full explanation is that someone took a normal US half dollar and an old-style British penny, cut them in half through their midsections, and joined the fronts together. Those two coins are almost identical in size so it's not a difficult process for anyone with the right tools and skills. In fact, the combination you have is actually a common pairing. They're made by the bucketful and usually sell for $5-10 in novelty shops.

Unfortunately, numismatically they're considered to be altered coins and have no value to coin collectors. You might find someone who collects curiosity items who'd be willing to buy yours for a couple of bucks, but more than likely they already have one.