This coin has been in our family for over 70 years. I have seen hundreds of these coins on line but, I have never seen one like this. Do you have any thoughts on where this coin may have come from?
Thank you ...
Tony
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1I googled for the words in the legend and found a few sources. Let us know if coinweek is helpful. The coin in top left has a different border than bottom left - looks like the top coin is mounted in something. This would support @Schwern's inferences below.– MCW ♦Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 16:51
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4Hi, and welcome to History.SE. Are all these pictures of the same coin? If so, is the toothed edge a case that can be removed?– SchwernCommented Aug 9, 2018 at 16:57
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1 Answer
It's a US Columbian Half Dollar minted to sponsor the World's Colombian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893 aka Chicago World's Fair. It appears someone has painted the reverse side and put it in a custom case.
Painting coins is something I did not realize is a thing. I can't say who painted your coin, but perhaps you can contact some enthusiasts.
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2That painting is a really good job, considering the size of the coin. I tried my hand at painting models (with details far larger than on that coin) as a kid, and was hopeless at it. And that was when I was young and my eyes were good.– T.E.D. ♦Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 18:40
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1I thought it was officially colored that way until this answer. Now the 1942 kinda stands out, but definitely superb work. Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 20:22
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2I wonder if the coin painting might have been a booth at the fair? That would explain the high quality. Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 3:46