NGC -
This coin missed the mark with its stars, date, and more.The Classic Head
Half Cent series began in 1809 and spanned more than a quarter century, but it includes only 11 dates for its business strikes, mostly 1825 and later. The 1833 is one of the easier coins in the series to acquire, but examples still cost at least several hundred dollars in low Mint State.
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Genuine 1833 Half CentAll the business strikes of 1833
Half Cents were struck from a single pair of dies, which makes the challenge of authenticating them a little easier. NGC recently received a purported example of this coin.
Counterfeit 1833 Half CentThe coin has poor details throughout, which is particularly apparent in the faintness of the word LIBERTY adorning the allegorical woman's hair. Also notice how narrower the rim is and how much larger the stars are on this coin when compared to a genuine example.
Close-ups of the obverse of counterfeit (left) and genuineThe red flags continue with the date, which is bulbous and misshapen. Look at how thin the stroke gets in certain places on the 8 on the genuine example, a nuance that is not repeated on the counterfeit. The end of the curl near the top of each 3 shows a similar issue.
Close-ups of the date on counterfeit (yop) and genuineThe coin's porous surfaces point to it being cast, as does a large missing chunk of the N in CENT on the reverse. This appears to be a casting void, a place where gas became trapped during the counterfeiting process, preventing liquid metal from filling the area. The coin has also been artificially worn to cover up the fact that it was made recently.
Close-up of the reverse of the counterfeitThe Classic Head
Half Cent series is a wonderful example of early
US coinage, but no one wants to own a fake one.
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Posted 05/14/2026 9:12 pm
