A Fake/Counterfeit Half Penny, A Freak From The Revolution ?

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Author	Replies: 14 / Views: 1,454
jdsstrat Valued Member United States 258 Posts	Posted 02/25/2025 10:50 pm My grandfather had a coin store in Westchester County, NY, back in the 1960s. I have been going through what remains of his collection and came across this George III half penny. You can see what he thought it was from the packaging in the picture below. My father came along after my grandfather passed and thought it might be counterfeit (that's his handwriting). And now it's my turn. So here it is, weighing in at about 6 grams with a diameter of roughly 26mm, which to my understanding puts this squarely in the counterfeit category. On the other hand, the raised edge and evidence of denticles to the rim (still clearly evident on a small section of the reverse) argues against counterfeit (I think). But something else about it doesn't sit right with me: the legend on the obverse reads GEORGIVS (badly faded) III D G REX, which suggests a later issue coin while the lack of a date and the way the shield leans on the reverse suggests 1st issue. Help! Edited by jdsstrat 02/25/2025 11:28 pm Report this Post to the Staff

jbuck Moderator United States 187446 Posts	Posted 02/26/2025 08:35 am I cannot offer an opinion on its authenticity, but I have to say I am impressed with how this and the other coins have been passed down from generation to generation. Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
Root River Mint New Member United States 46 Posts	Posted 02/26/2025 09:17 am Looks like an evasion copper. Probably light weight compared to a regal issue. Report this Post to the Staff
jbuck Moderator United States 187446 Posts	Posted 02/26/2025 10:29 am Quote: Looks like an evasion copper. Ah, interesting. Some topics to help educate on what that is... http://goccf.com/t/106272 http://goccf.com/t/405011 Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
jdsstrat Valued Member United States 258 Posts	Posted 02/26/2025 10:36 am VERY light weight and thanks for links, jbuck. Funny story about my grandfather's store: I was about 7 or 8 when he passed but I can remember being there at least once. Unbeknownst to me, he had filled his coin counting machine. But when he turned it on he told me it was MAKING money instead and of course I believed him. Unbeknownst to him (or maybe not), he had created a monster. Edited by jdsstrat 02/26/2025 10:54 am Report this Post to the Staff
jbuck Moderator United States 187446 Posts	Posted 02/26/2025 10:42 am Quote: thanks for links, jbuck. My pleasure. Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
jbuck Moderator United States 187446 Posts	Posted 02/26/2025 10:59 am Quote: Funny story about my grandfather's store: I was about 7 or 8 when he passed but I can remember being there at least once. Unbeknownst to me, he had filled his coin counting machine. But when he turned it on he told me it was MAKING money instead and of course I believed him. Unbeknownst to him (or maybe not), he had created a monster. Great story! Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
jdsstrat Valued Member United States 258 Posts	Posted 02/26/2025 11:48 am I'm still stumped. Can anyone with access to the Atkins and/or Galata catalogue find an example of an evasion copper with this design and this legend (GEORGIVS III D G REX) including Britannia's shield leaning left, as this one does? Report this Post to the Staff
PaddyB Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 945 Posts	Posted 02/26/2025 1:49 pm I have the Galata/Withers token book, which list evasions, but most of them only by words, not pictures. Without the legend or date on the reverse it is impossible to home in on which this is in this list. The range with the Georgius III Rex obverse are numbers 225 to 229. (230 has the same legend but portrait facing the other way.) Report this Post to the Staff
jdsstrat Valued Member United States 258 Posts	Posted 02/26/2025 5:32 pm Thanks PaddyB! Report this Post to the Staff
Spyro Valued Member United Kingdom 375 Posts	Posted 02/27/2025 03:08 am My gut reaction is that it's a counterfeit. Evasives usually had something in the legend which the manufacturer could point to as evidence of it not being a halfpenny, hence the name. But having said that, the obverse doesn't look much like George III. Very interesting coin. Report this Post to the Staff
Brummagem Valued Member United States 128 Posts	Posted 03/02/2025 2:11 pm Here are a couple of the same variety from Worthpoint. Your's is a nice example and should do well in the marketplace. I didn't see it listed in Atkins and these auctions give it an Anton Kesse number (AK-159) from Forgotten Coins of the North American Colonies. https://www.worthpoint.com/worthope...9-1812890683 https://www.worthpoint.com/worthope...9-1812890017 Report this Post to the Staff
jdsstrat Valued Member United States 258 Posts	Posted 03/02/2025 3:52 pm Brummagem, are you aware of George III coin that included the D.G. in the legend of the obverse before 1797? I may be missing something but if I'm not, how can the 1777 Evasions above be from 1777? Unless the counterfeiters introduced the D.G. to the legend? Am I making sense here or just missing something basic? Edited by jdsstrat 03/02/2025 3:57 pm Report this Post to the Staff
Brummagem Valued Member United States 128 Posts	Posted 03/02/2025 4:24 pm Hi :) This coin was probably minted later than the 1777 date - c. 1790s may be about right. Evasions had all sorts of imaginary legends, in theory, to "evade" the counterfeiting laws. The concept being that if the legends did not fit a legal tender coin, then it was not a "counterfeit" but simply a token offered for barter. Of course the evasions were so similar in appearance at the legal halfpennies that they often just passed in commerce as a halfpenny. That was the intent anyway. "D.G. Rex" would not have been unusual for it to be picked up by a maker of an evasion before it being used on the 1797 cartwheels. I think it was also used on some of the 1722-23 William Wood coins. Some of the other evasion legends are much more creative! Report this Post to the Staff
jdsstrat Valued Member United States 258 Posts	Posted 03/02/2025 4:34 pm Quote: "Some of the other evasion legends are much more creative..." Yes, I've noticed (: Edited by jdsstrat 03/02/2025 7:13 pm Report this Post to the Staff
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A Counterfeit Half Penny, A Freak From The Revolution ?