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 Replies: 10 / Views: 1,222 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1211 Posts |
Here is the most unusual item I picked up at Baltimore. What you are looking at is a brass or bronze disc shaped like a half dollar. One side has the impression of an 1877 Seated half dollar on it. The image is reversed and "impressed" on the disc. There is a small recessed rim around the outside of the disc. The other side is blank with a circular area that appears in the center to be off color from the rest of the disc. Make what you will of this item, but I showed it to just about every knowledgeable dealer at the Baltimore show. The major consensus was that this is a counterfeiter's impression of a genuine 1877 Seated Half to either use as a die pattern or tooling palette to be later used to create cast counterfeit half dollars. Note: The item is too soft to be used as an actual die itself. No one knew for sure exactly what it was but everyone confirmed that it was not a mint hub or any kind of mint made item. I did have a few dealers express interest in it and one offered to buy it from me for an undisclosed amount. Just thought you might all like to see something "different". Thanks for looking.   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1436 Posts |
Interesting piece. Oh, if it could only talk! The story it would tell. That's why I like coin collecting so much... history
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Incredibly cool, and the explanation seems quite plausible. Now you can mint your own Seated halves.  |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
I would have to agree with all of the explanations as to what this piece is, so far.
Certainly NOT a mint hub.
If a mint employee stole one of those, it would be like a
"broken arrow"
situation for the mint, and the police would have invested a great amount of effort to find the guy who purloined it.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1704 Posts |
Now you'll just have to get an 1877 Seated half to go with it if you don't already have one. That would make for an interesting pair. Ed ANA LM-3175 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2589 Posts |
An interesting piece indeed! I've never seen anything like it before
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1053 Posts |
That is a very cool piece of history.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3229 Posts |
Cool! Thanks for sharing!  |
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Valued Member
United States
331 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
206 Posts |
Very interesting, never seen anything like that. Thanks for sharing!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2540 Posts |
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Replies: 10 / Views: 1,222 |
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Posted 07/01/2013 7:44 pm
