Change Find-US Mint Commemorative Cent?

Hi All,

My wife has a knack for getting unique coins in change and not telling me about them.  I usually find them rifling thru her change drawer in her car looking for coffee money.  Three years ago it was a beatiful IHP, and today it's this strange coin.  I did some web searching and the only thing I can say for certain is that one side of this coin has the Seal of the US Mint.

I'm guessing its some kind of commemorative or souvenier coin that you'd get at a tour of the mint.  It appears to be struck on a cent planchet.  The color is exactly the same as a cent as well (it had a bunch of black goo stuck to it, and when I washed it off it left the mottled appearance).

Anyone know what the heck this thing is?

MP

i think it comes with a mint set when you buy those !!

I think they might be a souvenir,  when you visit

i think it comes with a mint set when you buy those !!

I agree that these came with the newer mint sets.

i think it comes with a mint set when you buy those !!

I agree that these came with the newer mint sets.

DITTO!

These come sealed up in the Mint sets along with one of each denomination of coin from that mint (see picture).

The older mint sets had plastic disks instead of these coin-like ones (see second picture).

I found a plastic penny in my change today!
Still, interesting find.


Ty
Relic Hunters Go To:
http://tytherelichunter.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the replies, and to Oddcoins for the pics.

So someone actually broke open a mint set and spent them, and it isn't even Christmas yet.  I'm friends with a few cashiers at the local mini-marts and they tell me stories of the silver, some of it old, that comes through during the holidays.  One guy told me of a kid who paid for $30+ worth of jerky, candy and energy drinks with a stack of silver dollars.  The two on top were modern...the rest were pre-1900 Morgan's.

MP