| Author |
 Replies: 13 / Views: 3,682 |
|
|
New Member
United States
30 Posts |
Long story short. My good friend was metal detecting one of our honey fields earlier this week. This field has produced 25 early American and British coppers along with a 1/2 Reale and a 2 Reale. He dug this very interesting early counterfeit LC. Never seen one like this or in this condition. Obviously the 1787 date gave it away as a counterfeit, but I find it so interesting that the obverse image looks like half Draped Bust and half Liberty Cap! I don't have a shot of the reverse. Have any of you experienced folks out there seen such a specimen like this? Thanks for looking.  |
|
|
|
Valued Member
United States
286 Posts |
That is a counterfeit Flowing Hair Half Dollar, not a large cent. It probably has a small eagle of the reverse, am I right? Given the erroneous date I'd assume this is a recent Chinese counterfeit, as they are notorious for their 18th century Trade dollars and early 1900's Silver Eagles, among others, but I've never seen this one on the no-no site; maybe counterfeiting of this level of ineptitude predated the Chinese. Or... what if it's a pattern? Lol cool piece whatever it is! |
|
Valued Member
United States
286 Posts |
|
|
Pillar of the Community
 United States
3098 Posts |
Very interesting coin with an equally interesting story behind it.
Too bad you don't have a reverse photo.
Paul Bulgerin
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
8515 Posts |
Very nice work 1796nopole !
Oregon coin geek.....*** GO BEAVS ! ! ! ***
|
|
New Member
United States
16 Posts |
John,
I just came across this post while doing some additional research for the second book in my 'Bad Metal' series about contemporary counterfeit U.S. coins.
Would you be able to post better obverse/reverse photos of this piece here as I would like to attribute it and document this example in my census of these 1787 counterfeit half dollar varieties.
Also, are you willing to provide more details about where this was found? City, County, State details would be great. Part of my research is trying to determine where these were specifically or generally made, and a metal detector find could be valuable in this pedigree information.
Feel free to contact me via email as well as *** Private information removed by Staff. Please do not post your address/email/phone number etc. ***
Thanks,
Winston Zack
Edited by Stone
06/02/2021 10:42 am
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
@Stone
The posting may not do much good at reaching him as he has not been on CT for 5 months. Make sure you send him a PM as that would be more likely to reach him, and you can give him you email address there. Posting it on the forum just get it deleted for security reasons.
Edited by Conder101
06/02/2021 1:51 pm
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
4415 Posts |
Might these edited images help ID the obverse? ....   |
|
Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
It appears? to be a contemporary counterfeit. That makes it more interesting, and warrants further investigation, which has already started.
|
|
New Member
United States
16 Posts |
Thanks ExoGuy for those cropped pics. I've identified the obverse. The obverse is currently only known paired with one other reverse. However, seeing an image of the reverse will confirm whether this contemporary counterfeit is of that known variety, or a different (new) die marriage.
I'll wait for reverse pics if they come.
And Conder101 - I'm not aware how to PM and/or email the OP. If you or others can guide me to this I would be happy to get in touch directly with the OP - BTV Digger.
Thanks all!
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
4415 Posts |
@ Stone .... I'm happy to hear the pics helped. I long collected the counterfeit Capped Bust Halves, but I'd not before seen a Flowing Hair counterfeit. I'm curious to see what unfolds on this thread.  |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Quote:
And Conder101 - I'm not aware how to PM and/or email the OP. If you or others can guide me to this I would be happy to get in touch directly with the OP - BTV Digger.
Click on his user name in his post, that will open his profile and there is a link there to send him an email. What is you first book in the "bad metal" series? It sounds like an interesting acquisition. OK found your website and the book. Edited by Conder101
06/04/2021 3:27 pm
|
|
New Member
United States
16 Posts |
@ExoGuy There are currently 5 documented varieties of 1787 (3 varieties) and 1878 (2 varieties) flowing hair contemporary counterfeit bust half dollars with approximately 20 examples documented in total among those 5 varieties. All 5 varieties were made by the same counterfeiter by or before 1812; my hypothesis is that they were made between 1810 and 1812. While my next book in this series will have a lengthy write-up, discussion, hypotheses, and outstanding/unanswered questions about these pieces, what I will share is that I have 'no idea' why the counterfeiter chose 1787 as his primary date; the 1878 date was likely an unfortunately die sinking blunder. Overall, I like the mystery and intrigue of these particular varieties, and I'm goal-oriented to document anything and everything about them; with just 5 varieties and 20 pieces in total, such an endeavor is manageable!  |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
4415 Posts |
Quote:
Overall, I like the mystery and intrigue of these particular varieties, and I'm goal-oriented to document anything and everything about them; with just 5 varieties and 20 pieces in total, such an endeavor is manageable! @Stone .... I'm totally attuned to your fascination and approach on these curious pieces. My pursuit of merchant- counterstamped coins/tokens parallels your endeavor. I've managed to likely attribute a few c/s's on counterfeit coins. As is the case with c/f's, the great number of c/s's survive in very small numbers. BTW, I loved your book but sold it along with my collection a few years ago. ADDED LATER: I got to thinking about the 1787 date. Consider that there were very many early coppers dated 1787, circulating and generally accepted by the public, well into the 1800's. Perhaps, that's why the counterfeiter chose that date? Since the penny coppers were accepted, why not other denominations? Another possibility is that these pieces were struck for reasons other than to defraud .... Edited by ExoGuy
06/05/2021 8:02 pm
|
| |
Replies: 13 / Views: 3,682 |
|
Posted 09/28/2018 9:46 pm
