Yesterday I stopped for a cup of Joe and got a 2003 Illinois state quarter in my change. It has a light gold colored plating to it. The web says these are out there but this is the first one I’ve seen.
Were these made like this by the U.S. mint, or did a private company do it for collectable sets and some dumb kid just spent it? What’s the deal?
When I worked in a shop that made electroplating solutions, I often gold plated odd change for kicks. The amount of gold in an electroplated layer is trivial. This was long time ago and well before 2003, so that wasn’t mine.
I have no idea what you found was.
Not done by the US Mint.
And, yes, p;robably spent by a kid.
Some company plates them as extra value. They’re only worth 25 cents unless you can find some sucker to pay more because of the yellow shine.
See here: Are My Gold Plated State Quarters Worth Anything? - Coin Community Forum
$3 each? People aren’t smart. Gold plating puts almost no gold on.
That’s not the point! You can then sell it to someone for $4 and make a profit!
But $4 each? People aren’t smart. Gold plating puts almost no gold on.
That’s not the point! You can then sell it to someone for $5 and make a profit!
But $5 each? People aren’t smart. Gold plating puts almost no gold on.
That’s not the point! You can then sell it to someone for $6 and make a profit!
Or, buy a lottery ticket. Same level of smart investment. 
It may not actually be gold plated. There are a bunch of howto videos out there demonstrating methods for making a ‘fake gold quarter’ - by dipping it in various chemicals and/or heat treating it.
Haven’t you just explained the whole concept of the gold trade here?
I have one of my bird friend (see avatar) around my neck (Idaho edition)…