Unknown Type - South Africa Penny 1929...?!?!

[mti]

Hello everybody...!!!

I found this coin on eBay, as an "Error Coin"... it has on the Obverse at 9 o'clock - cracked rim... and at 3 o'clock starting at letter "O" to the Emperor's Head - a die crack.  But the the uniqueness is that it is made of another metal (other than the Bronze), or was dipped into another metal (no actual traces of that) - Please compare it with:

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces70366.html

While it looks silver, or copper nickle, or nickle, it is not silver (the Ping Test is not long like silver)...  This coin is only slightly magnetic - I checked with a very strong Magnet and it faintly attracts it...

Here are the specs of this coin:  Size  = 30.8 mm, Thickness = 2mm, Weight = 10.5g (the Bronze one weighs 9.45g)

My questions are:  Has anyone seen anything similar?  Is this a modern fake?  A contemporary imitation?  Or do you think it is a coin that was minted back in the days of 1929, as an error...?!?!

Thank you in advance for all your feedback and Have a pleasant day...!!!

[mkm1968]

this is a modern pampering, samples of copper coins from my collection

[mti]

Thank you mkm1968...  your examples are very interesting!!!  I had no idea, now I do...

I found one more difference:  my coin has reeded edge, while the one on Numista shows smooth, plain edge...  How do you suppose the reeds where made, they don't look like they were cast, they look like machine-made... also do you think this coin was dipped into silver?  then, why is it magnetic - Bronze underneath it would not be magnetic...?!?!  right...!?!?  (I am puzzled...)

[mkm1968]

The reaction to the magnet depends on what the coin was covered with. This is not necessarily silver, perhaps an alloy that is magnetized ...

[Figleaf]

I agree that the cladding was probably doctored, but I am wondering about the edge. It may be just the light. However, I see the toothed edge has worn to the point it merged with the raised edge. The total is unequal, though. It looks thinnest at 2 o'clock and thickest at 7 o'clock. It looks like the flan or the die moved in the press, perhaps as a consequence of the die break or because small parts of metal from a previous strike had lodged on the die pair, perhaps also causing the damage on the raised edge at 9 o'clock.

The damage would have been of no consequence to a normal user, but it would have awoken the interest of a crazy collector (cc). CC would have kept it, maybe as a lucky piece, maybe as part of his small collection. On cc's death, his collection of oddities would have gathered dust, until a descendent of cc found it in the attic. She liked the damaged piece, took it to a jeweller to have it cladded and mounted.

@mti: I am sure cc is sitting on his cloud and approving of your attentive ownership of his little treasure.

Peter