Need help with some counterfeit Capped Bust Halves
EXOJUNKIE
Posts: 1,619 ✭✭✭✭✭
I couldn't make it to the ANA this year, so I went to a flea market yesterday instead (not quite the same haha) and picked up a handful of counterfeit bust halves. They came from the inventory of a local coin shop whose owner recently passed away and the shop closed / inventory was sold. Like a lot of dealers, he squirreled his counterfeits away because he didn't know what to do with them. Anyway, I'm not a CBH expert but I know there is a collector's club and an attribution guide for counterfeit CBHs ... what I don't know is whether or not these would be considered "contemporary" counterfeits.
Admittedly, this isn't my specialty. Anyone want to render an opinion? I welcome any comments!
1828, plain edge, 14.5 grams
1832, lettered edge, 12.1 grams, looks like maybe it's struck on a copper planchet
1833, lettered edge, 13.5 grams
1836, reeded edge, 12.5 grams, "HALF DOL." on reverse instead of "50 CENTS", struck on brass planchet
1837, reeded edge, 11.2 grams
ANA LM
USAF Retired — 34 years of active military service! 🇺🇸
Comments
Your 1836 looks to me like an 1836-O!
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
I know, I thought the same thing at first, but it’s just a gouge … PMD if you will haha.
ANA LM
USAF Retired — 34 years of active military service! 🇺🇸
My hunch is they are all contemporary.
Cool!
Look contemporary. Nice pickups!!
They all look contemporary and I think it IS an O!
Keith Davignon wrote the book on these. There also is information online. Google contemporary counterfeit bust half dollars and you will find it.
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
All contemporary counterfeits and very collectable - some are quite valuable.
I have only one counterfeit.... a 1902 CC Morgan (none were made), that I bought in an antique shop to get it off the market... I did haggle the price down when I proved it was a counterfeit. Cheers, RickO
Thanks all for the comments. I’ll look up the counterfeit CBH club and share these with them. 👍🏻
ANA LM
USAF Retired — 34 years of active military service! 🇺🇸
Editing this comment to ask salient question...
Do you figure they are contemporary counterfeits because they are consistent with known examples of such, and also because they are too crude to fool modern collectors?
But if there is now a market for collectable counterfeits, these could be modern fakes of contemporary fakes...?
Do any TPGs validate the provenance of counterfeits?
thanks...
That 1837 looks like a flat cartoon of a bust coin..
And the hair swoosh is way too big! Funny!