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 Replies: 9 / Views: 5,149 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4415 Posts |
These copies are quite deceptive. Peter Rosa, a.k.a. BECKER, was an excellent engraver, located in NY City. He died about twenty years ago, but his original coin dies are still with us. Many seasoned collectors are unfamiliar with his counterstamped issues, thinking them to be a century or more earlier than they are, so I thought this worthy of being posted. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1787-Fugio-...em2a4d0cb99eI sent the seller a message and told him how to confirm my assessment. Becker issues are collected, but their quality typically leads to an item being purchased by a "low information" collector. |
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Moderator
 United States
16679 Posts |
Good post ExoGuy.
The price is reflective of such a piece but yeah, coins like this, which have toned that nice chocolate color can be quite deceptive but, it is what it is (to the initiated).
swcoin.ecrater.com
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4415 Posts |
Thanks, Vermontensium. I'd posted another "Becker" issue in the past, but these are, IMHO, worth revisiting as more collectors continue to subscribe to the CCF. If Rosa's dies are someday used without the counterstamp, as occasionally seen in the marketplace now, the hobby will greatly suffer. Rosa made copies of many scarce and rare coins from ancient times to modern. Good News ... The seller posted my notes. Kudos to him!  Edited by ExoGuy
03/09/2015 10:45 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3253 Posts |
He considered himself a true artist, which is why he fiercely campaigned for the Hobby Act to allow reproductions to be stamped with marks on the edge to identify them as copies, like this example is, rather than in the fields, as the law ultimately ended up requiring.
Edited by philadelphian
03/09/2015 11:24 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6478 Posts |
Why is he holding it with METAL pliers?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4691 Posts |
I thought it is against ebay rules to sell replicas, which this clearly is. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9792 Posts |
I don't have the Fugio Book yet in my library, the one by Eric Newman, does anyone know if the Becker copies are covered in it? It is a book I've been wanting for awhile now, but haven't found one a "good" price.
Great post exoguy!
"Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1566 Posts |
Thanks for the info ExoGuy. I've had my sights set on a Fugio. Now I know what not to buy.
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Valued Member
United States
226 Posts |
Thanks for the info! I was not aware of these copies.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4415 Posts |
Back when Rosa was using his BECKER counterstamp, counterstamps were more frowned upon. Whereas Rosa used the stamp to then warn collectors. It now, in effect, adds to the desirability of his pieces. Books by Brunk and Rulau have since elevated the status of early counterstamps by recognizing their historic role in numismatics in conjunction with American history. The problem now lies in the fact that the BECKER stamps, typically appearing on historically significant coins as they do, otherwise deceptive copies, nowadays lends credibility, an aura, to the pieces being early. Rosa could not have foreseen this development, I suspect.
Edited by ExoGuy
03/10/2015 08:57 am
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Replies: 9 / Views: 5,149 |
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Posted 03/09/2015 10:35 pm
