Were there trial coins struck dated 1863 or is this an altered coin?

Accoding to CoinFacts
http://www.coinfacts.com/two_cents/two_cents_by_date.html




there were patterns in 1863. Whether the coin above is a pattern or an altered date, I have no idea.

Compare it with this 1863 two cent pattern shown on the Bass website at this link:

http://www.harrybassfoundation.org/objects.asp?id=6047


Also check this link to two-cent patterns:

http://www.uspatterns.com/uspatterns/twocent.html

Who knows? Maybe you have found a major rarity...

HTH

Doesn't look real to me. I see some base metal peeking through copper plating.

I think gpnyc's Right I believe you got a fake on your hands. . . Better Sell it on ebay as a real rare piece. . . . But we could be wrong what does the other side look like?

To me, it looks like it is cast base metal plated with...copper?

Do a balance test with a genuine coin to see if there's a difference in weight.

It's a metal detector find, right?

If so, you may have a very neat contemporary counterfeit.

I didn't really pay attention before but it does look plated, doesn't it?

Yeah, Stu.
I guess Doc will be back later to confirm, but the silver collored (white pot metal?) core seems obvious.

Also, most evident on the obverse at 7-8 o'clock, is the bubbling that is usually associated with casting.

Maybe what looks like base metal peeking through the copper is actually green PVC contamination from storage in a plastic flip. It looks too uniformly worn to be a casted coin IMHO. It may be an altered 1868 though. Send it to ANACS.

Sorry folks but I don't own this coin. Someone else was looking for info.

Looks to be an altered date to me.