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1859-s Seated Half - Counterfeit or Damaged?

Manifest_DestinyManifest_Destiny Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭✭✭

What do you think is going on with this one? Not my coin, I just ran across it on ebay.


Comments

  • CryptoCrypto Posts: 3,721 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • AUandAGAUandAG Posts: 24,782 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Is that a chopmark on the reverse center?

    bob :)

    Registry: CC lowballs (boblindstrom), bobinvegas1989@yahoo.com
  • hummingbird_coinshummingbird_coins Posts: 1,149 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Young Numismatist • My Toned Coins
    Life is roadblocks. Don't let nothing stop you, 'cause we ain't stopping. - DJ Khaled

  • maymay Posts: 1,585 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Maybe a plugged hole?

    Type collector, mainly into Seated. -formerly Ownerofawheatiehorde. Good BST transactions with: mirabela, OKCC, MICHAELDIXON, Gerard

  • JBNJBN Posts: 1,851 ✭✭✭✭✭

    WB-2.
    The poor dear.

  • hummingbird_coinshummingbird_coins Posts: 1,149 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My theory is that this coin circulated heavily in the Orient, and gathered numerous chopmarks. Later, it fell into the hands of a collector, who attempted to "fix" it by smoothing and re-engraving the surfaces. However there must have been one deeper than the rest (center reverse) that lived to tell the tale.

    Young Numismatist • My Toned Coins
    Life is roadblocks. Don't let nothing stop you, 'cause we ain't stopping. - DJ Khaled

  • CRHer700CRHer700 Posts: 2,004 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Real, but a C coin.

    God bless all who believe in him. Do unto others what you expect to be done to you. Dubbed a "Committee Secret Agent" by @mr1931S on 7/23/24. Founding member of CU Anti-Troll League since 9/24/24.

  • epcepc Posts: 236 ✭✭✭✭

    Quite a few Seated half dimes with similar 're-engraving' show up on ebay.

    Collector of Liberty Seated Half Dimes, including die pairs and die states

  • ChopmarkedTradesChopmarkedTrades Posts: 524 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @hummingbird_coins said:
    My theory is that this coin circulated heavily in the Orient, and gathered numerous chopmarks. Later, it fell into the hands of a collector, who attempted to "fix" it by smoothing and re-engraving the surfaces. However there must have been one deeper than the rest (center reverse) that lived to tell the tale.

    Agree with this, the coin was chopmarked and someone attempted to crudely repair it. There are still two Chinese characters visible on the reverse, including a large one in the center of the eagle.

  • CryptoCrypto Posts: 3,721 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ChopmarkedTrades said:

    @hummingbird_coins said:
    My theory is that this coin circulated heavily in the Orient, and gathered numerous chopmarks. Later, it fell into the hands of a collector, who attempted to "fix" it by smoothing and re-engraving the surfaces. However there must have been one deeper than the rest (center reverse) that lived to tell the tale.

    Agree with this, the coin was chopmarked and someone attempted to crudely repair it. There are still two Chinese characters visible on the reverse, including a large one in the center of the eagle.

    Agree with this and would add the date and MM support that hypothesis as they were exported in bulk to the Orient

  • seatedlib3991seatedlib3991 Posts: 762 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wow. That coin looks like a Jack O Lantern one month after Halloween. wonder where he's been. James

  • Manifest_DestinyManifest_Destiny Posts: 6,896 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'm glad I posted this for discussion. I didn't even notice that the damage on the reverse was a chop mark.

  • WinLoseWinWinLoseWin Posts: 1,580 ✭✭✭✭✭

    "To Be Esteemed Be Useful" - 1792 Birch Cent --- "I personally think we developed language because of our deep need to complain." - Lily Tomlin

  • FrankHFrankH Posts: 946 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Rare parrot variety! B)

  • Cougar1978Cougar1978 Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Damaged

    Coins & Currency
  • lermishlermish Posts: 3,030 ✭✭✭✭✭

    ^ I'm glad we solved the mystery!

  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 28,418 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Crypto said:
    Agree with previous posts

    Agree 👍

  • WinLoseWinWinLoseWin Posts: 1,580 ✭✭✭✭✭

    One question is whether it was done for the collector market or was it done way back when to make it more acceptable for circulating in the US after it returned from the Orient?

    "To Be Esteemed Be Useful" - 1792 Birch Cent --- "I personally think we developed language because of our deep need to complain." - Lily Tomlin

  • TypekatTypekat Posts: 416 ✭✭✭✭

    I’m voting Bogus.
    Looks like an oldtime counterfeit, with that inexplicable parrot head eagle

    • tooled
    • re-engraved shield

    30+ years coin shop experience (ret.) Coins, bullion, currency, scrap & interesting folks. Loved every minute!

  • CryptoCrypto Posts: 3,721 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Typekat said:
    I’m voting Bogus.
    Looks like an oldtime counterfeit, with that inexplicable parrot head eagle

    • tooled
    • re-engraved shield

    The MM, date placement and denticals are all spot on speaking to being a real host. Looks like silver too coupled to the known chop mark test drill by the date being period correct. Chops were beyond worthless for a dozen decades and especially the common dates that were chopped spent their years languishing in junk bins and treated as such. It is not uncommon to see chopped coins mutilated. There simply was no downside

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