Fake Half Dollar Found

drsvenghali

I was moving some junk silver around and something caught my eye. I found a fake 1944 Walking Liberty Half Dollar. Why would someone take the effort to fake one is beyond me. Maybe it was a training piece for a bigger ripoff.

Does anyone know how this was created? Same size as a real half but I suspect the metal is not silver, well not 90%. It has a different, more tin-like ring to it. (Sorry, no scale the get a weight.)

If you look at the fields you can see an almost starburst effect. Is this from an electroplate process?

Your thoughts and insights are welcome.

dr svenghali

P.S. What do you guys think I should do with it?

idocoins

pocket piece?

clackamas

Could be struck on a different planchet?

drsvenghali

The date is definately not right. Also the starburst areas are raised from the field. Almost like the pattern when crystalization occurs.

drsvenghali

ttt

ldhair

Sorry. Your image is down.

ldhair

sliderider

Probably one of those chinese fakes floating around ebay. They are usually made of 12% 'Tibetan' silver.

dcarr

I had one a lot like that (dated 1947). I believe that it is a vintage counterfeit. The intent was simply to spend it for it's face value.

ldhair

I'm thinking these were out there before China jumped on the band wagon.

It's been a while since I read about these but I think they were struck copies.

Conder101

Looks like a contemporary counterfeit.

With the war wages rose but fifty cents was still a significant amount of money in 1944 and it would have been worthwhile to counterfeit them for circulation. As a percentage of an unskilled or semi-skilled workers daily wage, compared to todays minimum wage worker it would probably be about the same as a ten or twenty dollar bill.

JadeRareCoin

Your counterfeit is worth more than a genuine example of the same date. Probably about $5 or so. Cool find. I own several.

KenzoT

I remember lead cast counterfeits back in the 60's, saw a few, never got handed one.
Is it made of lead?

drsvenghali

It is not made of lead. When flipped it has a high pitched ring, not unlike that of a clad dollar (no, it's not clad). My guess it is pewter or something similar. Tomorrow I'm taking it to a metalurgist/chemist friend of mine. We will get an acurate weight and try to determine its specific gravity and therefore its composition.

From what I can tell, I'd have to say contemporary counterfiet.

Anyone else have or know of a counterfeit 1944 Walker like this? I'd like to know if there are others that look the same.

ldhair

I have one that is lead and it is very soft. It makes a thud sound. (is that a real word)

Saw another one some time back that was not lead and the guy said it was base metal.
Not really sure what that is. A cool item to me.

dcarr

<< <i>Your counterfeit is worth more than a genuine example of the same date. Probably about $5 or so. Cool find. I own several. >>



Yes, I've seen several of them just like that (with various dates). The last one I had I sold for $5. If it had been real it would have been worth $2.25 .