Counterfeit Detection: 1857 Braided Hair Half Cent

NGC - Problems abound on the obverse and reverse of this crude fake.

The Half Cent denomination that had existed since the US started minting its own currency in the late 1700s was legislated out of existence in 1857. Though this year is scarce among the Braided Hair issues, low Mint State examples can still be found for under $1,000.

NGC recently received an example of a Counterfeit 1857 Half Cent. Because only one set of dies was used to create these coins, variances are not to be expected. Therefore, an initial glance at the obverses of the genuine and counterfeit should make a collector uncomfortable.


Obverse of the 1857 Half Cent: a genuine example (left) and the counterfeit

First, the date details on the counterfeit clearly do not match the genuine example. The numbers differ markedly - the elegant variations in the width of the strokes within individual numbers are missing on the counterfeit.

Likewise, the letters of LIBERTY in the tiara also vary considerably from the genuine version.

The stars surrounding the obverse are mere blobs - like the other features of the counterfeit, they are not clearly defined.

Looking at the reverse reveals similar problems. For instance, the berries within the laurel wreath appear much too large on the counterfeit.


Reverse of the 1857 Half Cent: a genuine example (left) and the counterfeit

The letters on the reverse do not match the genuine version. Just look at the M in AMERICA; on the genuine version, the M's left and right sides are parallel, while on the counterfeit, the left and right sides slant toward each other.

Also note that the E in the word CENT on the counterfeit is broken at the top, which is not something that would be seen on a genuine piece.

This case offers some insight into identifying a particularly crude fake. However, there are plenty of much more sophisticated counterfeits in existence.

Read More: Counterfeit Detection Series

Check out 1857 Half Cents on ebay.