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: Well, for starters, I simply typed the words Carl Wilhelm Becker fantasy coin (no quote marks) into that world famous search engine and got about a half-million citations including tons of pictures, so I'd say that would be as good a place as any to begin your search.

: Now as far as the 1976 cent goes, what specifically makes you conclude it was struck in nickel?  Simply that it has a silver color, or did anyone run a check such as a specific gravity test that might help pin it down? 

: The reason I'm asking is that the vast majority of odd-colored coins got that way not from being struck in the wrong metal but by either exposure to some external agent (heat, chemicals) or being plated for use in jewelry, etc.  

: There are several things that could help to at least say what the coin ISN'T.  Genuine 1976 cents were struck in bronze and weighed 3.11 gm when new, so if your coin comes in at that weight and/or shows the same density as bronze it may not be nickel at all.  Also pure nickel is attracted to a magnet, so if your coin isn't, its metal is either not nickel or it's alloyed with enough of something else to no longer be attracted(*).

: That all said, given its age it IS a possibility that what you have is an off-metal strike. For many years the US Mint struck coins for other countries that couldn't support their own mint. Occasionally blanks intended for foreign coins might get mixed in with US blanks and be struck with an American design even though the metal was wrong.  Off-metal strikes can be worth a premium but how much depends on many factors because there's generally not a lot of similarity from one to another.

: That said, if your coin's pedigree can't be determined by some of these home tests, you'll need to have it inspected by a dealer or appraiser who handles error coins.

: (*) That's why American "nickels" don't stick to a magnet - they're actually 75% copper.  OTOH Canadian nickels have mostly been made of pure nickel or steel over their existence, and they DO stick.

: 
: : Hi,I'm a newbie. Two questions- First I have a Carl Wilhelm Becker coin that I BELIEVE [beleive] might be one of his fantasy coins and would like to know where to find pictures of his coins for comparison. I haven't been able to locate one like this.  Second- I have a 1976 penny that is struck in nickel and are trying to get a value or a sense of its rarity.  If anyone can help me with either of these two things it would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.



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