Two Headed Coins

If you find a coin that has two heads or tails, you may first think that you have discovered an valuable mint error. They may appear to have two heads or two tails, but most of these coins aren't made that way at the Mint.  Nearly all of these two-headed/tailed coins are called "magic coins" which are used in magic tricks, or to cheat in a coin toss.

(With only three known exceptions. One is from the 1800s - a double-head Indian Head Cent. Another is a two-tailed Washington Quarter. The third is a two-tailed dime from the 1980s.) 

The technique in making these coins involves two coins. One is hollowed out to the rim, the other coin has its rim and one side removed. The second coin is inserted into the first so that the seam between the two is at the rim and can be virtually unnoticeable. There is no evidence of tampering on the outside edge.

A one cent coin in the process of becoming a Magic Coin

    

These coins are often underweight since they are partially hollow inside. They also fail the "ring" test (balance a coin on your finger and tap it with a pencil, it should have a bell like quality. Coins that sound "dead" are not a continuous piece of metal so the sound stops at breaks between the joined pieces).

A good many of these coins are spent by accident because they look just like regular coins.