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 Replies: 17 / Views: 5,628 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1659 Posts |
What do you make of this coin? Admittedly, I know very little about these early halves. The reverse has medal turn orientation. It has a lettered edge. It weighs 13.13 grams. Measures between 32 and 32.58mm in diameter (the coin is bent). When I looked up 1838 halves in the Red Book, it looks like this coin has the wrong reverse. According to the Red Book, the reverse should have HALF DOL. and not 50C. In addition, it should only be 30mm in diameter. I suspect this coin is a counterfeit. Am I missing something? Just looking for some second opinions. Thanks!    |
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
That is a downright hilarious fake.
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Rest in Peace
United States
5375 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
642 Posts |
I know it's April fools and all....so, grain of salt for any odd postings  But that is definitely not an authentic 1838 Half. For a lot of reasons, Head looks wrong, and is too small. Looks like an attempt at a pre-1836 head. Date is too small, 50C lettering is too 'thin'. Eagles' head looks wrong, motto looks wrong... Just my opinion, but that coin doesn't look right... Hope you didn't pay money for it. |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1659 Posts |
Thanks guys. Quote:
Hope you didn't pay money for it. It belongs to my father and he has very little into it, so thankfully, it's not a big loss. Edited by cwb1877
04/01/2011 11:14 pm
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Valued Member
United States
380 Posts |
nice attempt though... ha ha
That's good that he has very little into it... recent purchase? Can you still get a hold of the seller?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1388 Posts |
No offense, but I thought the Chinese were better than this... If only ALL the fakes looked like this one...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4416 Posts |
The crude diework on this item suggests to me that it may be a contemporary couterfeit, perhaps made well over a hundred and fifty years ago. If so, there are collectors who seek these, and there's a serious book out about them, too. Perhaps, another CCF member may have that book and will yet post info.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
It might be a contemporary counterfeit but I kind of doubt it. I'd have to check the bogus busties book and I'm not sure where my copy is at the moment or if it survived the flood. (I need to go ahead and pick up a copy of the new second edition.)
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
Quote:
It has a lettered edge. Am I missing something? Yep- 1,200 1836s and 1837-1839 halves had reeded edges, not lettered. I have to agree with ExoGuy, I think it is quite likely a contemporary counterfeit. Based on the appearance of the dentils, I would say it was struck in an open collar which explains why it is not reeded. I would think that a lettered edge counterfeit would have been easier to pass than a reeded edge in that time period simply because Bust Halves had lettered edges for 29 years of mintage vs. 4 years of mintage for reeded edges. People would have been more familiar with the lettered edge and may have even been suspicious of a genuine reeded edge at the time simply because it was "different". |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1801 Posts |
It is a "Davignon Obverse 3 reverse C". Very common contemporary counterfeit. Nice coin. If your dad ever wants to part with it, please let me know.
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
Lettering looks wrong, should be coin reverse. Looks like pot metal. Bust is too heavy. Diameter is way too big, prolly to bring weight up to within tolerance. http://www.coincommunity.com/us_hal...f_dollar.aspI suspect the fakes are made with obvious "mistakes" like the 50c, so that they can get away with not having to put COPY on them, since you can only be a copy of an original, and there's no such thing as a 50c coin that year. |
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Moderator
United States
16679 Posts |
I see casting bubbles too. Big time fake. Devices are horrible.
swcoin.ecrater.com
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1304 Posts |
That is so fake it's not even funny;. OK a little funny
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
Quote:
Diameter is way too big, prolly to bring weight up to within tolerance.
The diameter is big but it matches the proper diameter of a lettered Edge Bust Half struck in an open collar, it has nothing to do with tolerance. As jfrancsh confirmed, it is a contemporary counterfeit minted in a period style. The vast majority of Asian counterfeits are minted with more modern technology which would preclude the use of an open collar press and a bar die press for edge lettering coupled with the use of numismatically incorrect types/fantasy issues. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1801 Posts |
It is not a cast coin, it is a struck coin. That obverse die is used on several different obverse/reverse combinations and you can follow the progrssion of the die cracks to see the die wear from tremendous use. (Most noticable on the 12th star where the crack blends into the denticles). The early bust half counterfeits are as interesting to me as the varieties of the regular issues. This coin is one of the more common known contemporary counterfeits.
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Replies: 17 / Views: 5,628 |
Posted 04/01/2011 11:01 pm
