Weight (in grams) of VF(20) 1800 to 1857 half cent?
Koinicker
Posts: 289 ✭✭✭
Long-shot, but does anyone here own an 1800 to 1857 half cent in approximately VF-20 grade (as problem-free as possible) which they could weigh for me? Mint weight of these coins is 5.44 grams. Even providing weights of VG, F, VF+ and EF examples would help to provide a range of weight against wear.
I ask because I am trying to assess the potential authenticity of a scarce date/variety. Currently all other factors (weight, ring, die marriage elements, etc.) check-out as real, but the difference between an authentic coin and an excellent counterfeit is significant, and I would not put it past someone to counterfeit this date/variety. Ultimately I will send this piece in to be authenticated, but in the meantime I would like to gain as much confidence as to authenticity as possible.
Thanks in advance.
Comments
Post an image
What is the date? I mostly have notes on circulated 18th century 1/2 cents.
It's an 1831. Very few have been authenticated in such a low grade. Further, to counterfeit one of these with any chance of passing as real would be to counterfeit a high-grade version and artificially wear it down. The coin has the normal feel of an authentic coin with smooth surfaces and hand-grease wear for copper, and not the rougher, dry, lifeless artificial wear I've seen and felt on more recent transfer die counterfeits.
No photo for now. Not trying to create suspense, just want to evaluate these other factors first. Thanks for the comments so far.
Its edge is very important.
Agreed - and so far there are no obvious red flags.
A VF-20 coin is only going to be around 3 or 4% lighter than the day it was made, but then you have to allow for the original production weight tolerance which could bring it down another few percent.
Any chance it is an alteration from another date? Because those dies were lettered by hand each reverse die is unique. See if it matches an 1831 die exactly.
Thanks CaptHenway - that was the answer I was hoping to hear. The 1831 I am examining is approximately 3.7% light in weight from mint tolerance - it weights 5.24g. All date and star positions on the obverse and all letters on the reverse match the dentil positions.
Good luck with your coin....Let us know when you have the final results...Cheers, RickO
Sounds good, but still needs to be authenticated by one of the TPG's.
The trouble is “all date and star positions” and the reverse will match if the piece is a copy of genuine coin. Having a top rated grading service review it is very important. If it works out, that will be great.
Koinicker, could you please provide a few answers
about your coin since there are no images?
Does the rev. have a center dot?
What is the position of the upper leaf under
S2 ( the last S in STATES ) . Does the leaf extend
to the right edge of the S ?
What is the position of the outer leaf to A1 in
STATES ? Is it short of the right edge of A , at
the right edge, or passed the right edge of A ?
R.I.P. Bear
This will be sent to a TPG during my next show at Baltimore in October.
Reverse is a match - shows center dot; letter repunching in F in HALF and C_N_ in CENT (although this detail isn't bold because of wear); leaf does extend to right side of S2 in STATES; leaf extends to approximately the right edge of A1 in STATES.
Obverse has the large stars of 1831, which are closer together, than the smaller and more widely spaced stars of 1832 and 1835.
I will see about photos if I get permission from the individual who's collection this came from which I'm evaluating. The overall collection wasn't too large - 150-200 pieces, and maybe only 25% is pre-1850 type which was mostly silver.
Actual weights from a dozen GENUINE examples from 1800 to 1853 grading VF :
Average weight: 5.38 grams
High: 5.5 grams (5.44 is specification)
Low: 5.18 grams
Not included in average: two grading G-4 5.09 & 5.06 PLUS one AU+ 5.39