Dug from the ground. 1794 Half dollar?
Dropdaflag
Posts: 809 ✭✭✭✭✭
A friend of mine dug this up from the ground. Since I know nothing about early American coinage, I photographed it and ask here. I feel it may not be genuine, based on an image search with Google. 
5
Comments
Wow, what a score!
Assuming it’s genuine of course.
Yes, it appears to be a counterfeit.
The date style (lack of lower serif on the 4) and star positions
do not match any of the known Overton die varieties shown on PCGS CoinFacts.
These things do match an aliexpress counterfeit:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255799859250788.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt
Also the blunt star points are not known on any Overton varieties that I saw on CoinFacts.
These are not present on the above aliexpress counterfeit, so that's a puzzle.
Good detective work. Yet another Chinese counterfeit.
Additionally, the coin certainly doesn’t have the appearance of one that’s very old and has been burred in the ground.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
How far down did he dig to find this? Maybe he dug so deep he came up on the other side.
We've dug a lot of counterfeits in the last two years. Especially on the beaches {AL/FL}.
I'd wonder how a fairly recent counterfeit ended up being dug, but I was reminded of the member here who, upon learning that a recently acquired Morgan had fake frosted devices, threw the coin out his car window.
Maybe someone had similarly discarded a bad purchase.
I was just thinking that too. 😂
USAF (Ret.) 1985 - 2005. E-4B Aircraft Maintenance Crew Chief and Contracting Officer.
My current Registry sets:
✓ Everyman Mint State Carson City Morgan Dollars (1878 – 1893)
✓ Everyman Mint State Lincoln Cents (1909 – 1958)
✓ Morgan Dollar GSA Hoard (1878 – 1891)
The fake frosting was painted on. A soak in acetone would have probably removed it.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Doesn't look like it was in the ground for very long. Counterfeit for sure. Good work on finding the matching fake @yosclimber.
Successful BST with ad4400, Kccoin, lablover, pointfivezero, koynekwest, jwitten, coin22lover, HalfDimeDude, erwindoc, jyzskowsi, COINS MAKE CENTS, AlanSki, BryceM
I'm glad I'm not a novice collector starting out today. Yep, there were counterfeits and alterations back "in the day", but nothing approaching this nonsense!
If it continues and gets worse, nobody will want to collect coins, especially if they got burned.
Pete
Besides those markers pointed out by @yosclimber , does the abnormally sharp and crisp edge lettering and design provide another tell? Based on my limited experience with low to mid grade early large cents with lettered edges, these don’t appear anywhere close to the image shown in posted coin.
I guess this is a warning sign. How do you know counterfeits are too numerous? When you can dig them up from the ground!
https://www.smallcopperguy.com
I think your friend is lying to you.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I understand that when one buys these replicas from Aliexpress, they frequently leave "COPY" off of the coin especially if requested to do so.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
When I first started collecting half cents and large cents, I bought a couple of COPY's of the keys to see the quality of their workmanship. Still have them. Both had COPY on the ad coin, but when I got the coins they were without COPY. I think they know that our Secret Service doesn't care about the counterfeits, unless into circulation and then only mostly paper.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
Fake 1794 made from a 1795 T-1/O.119.
From my archives:
When I was a kid we'd try to dig thru to China. Never even got close.
Posters friend must have gotten close. Lol Common saying when I was young, keep digging til you reach China.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
I've known him over 25 years. He has metal detected since day one. He has many 3-ring binder albums full on things he's found. I do not think he is a liar.
https://www.smallcopperguy.com
Thanks for all the responses. I felt like the coin was not genuine and you guys helped me confirm it. He didn't like it much.
https://www.smallcopperguy.com
Considering that counterfeits are just about everywhere (including those that are thrown away or burred) there wasn't a good reason for anyone to think your friend was lying. And I think @PerryHall was kidding.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
We got about a third of the way there.
More than once, I have seen someone on the forums, on being told their flea-market coins were fake, said that they'd literally tossed the things out their window. Or worse.
I recall one fellow saying he'd gone down to the local soccer field, and tossed a bunch of his fake coins out onto the grass - he then came back the next day to watch the kids soccer game get thrown into chaos as the kids had a great time finding these "coins" and picking them up. All I could think of, on reading it, was "Great... now all those kid's parents are going to be coming onto the forums and asking us about these old coins their kids found".
I'm OK with creative ways of disposing of fake coins, but please, do it responsibly, to reduce confusion rather than create it.
Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, "Meditations"
Apparently I have been awarded one DPOTD.
It looks fake.
On the web: http://www.earlyus.com
It's a REAL counterfeit.
Check out my iPhone app SlabReader!
That’s so damn funny I choked😂😂😂😂
I guess you have to have a really trained eye because i did a comparison with a genuine and I couldnt find any difference in the liberty over the head, the date or the wreath on back, call me blind or stupid.
you can always take it to a jeweler or high end coin collector and have him use the metal analyzer on it it should show pretty darn close to 90% silver..
Many counterfeits are made to mint specs as far as weight and metal fineness. The profit is in the numismatic premium.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Why do the Chinese bury their counterfeits on the beaches of the Gulf?
Thanks for the great comparative pictures @burfle23 .... This forum is a great resource. Cheers, RickO
Had you persisted, you might have reached China by now.