What is an "electrotype?"

TheLiberator

I was looking for a bar cent on ebay and came upon an "electrotype." The seller said it was not original. Is that some kind of strange counterfiet? (sp)

goose3

yes, fake, copy.

robertpr

It's a copy. From the Heritage website:

Electotype: A duplicate coin created by the electrolytic method, where metal is deposited into a mold made from the original. The obverse and reverse metal shells are then filled with metal and fused together. The edges are then sometimes filed smooth to obscure the seam.

relayer

Fancy term for COPY

JadeRareCoin

Actually, some electrotypes are quite valuable. Depends on the era of manufacture, the quality of the reproduction and the person who reproduced it. I sold an electrotype M.1-E Connecticut at the ANA for $160. That's more than I would have been paid for the real thing.....

If it's on eBay, it is probably a recent copy, but you never know. Gotta link for us?

TheLiberator

Bar cent on ebay

JadeRareCoin

Hmmmm. It is not a Bolen copy (ca. 1860's), which would be worth a couple hundred bucks or more. It is also not an electrotype. Rather, I am of the opinion that this is a copy made from reproduced dies. It is a very nice job, but the "S" in "USA" is wrong. I would pay $50 for the piece on eBay.....maybe more if I could examine it in person. There are many various copies of the Bar Cent floating around. Some old, some new.

Here's one that we recently sold. This is the "real thing":




Notice the subtle differences between this coin and the eBay example.

TheLiberator

Just out of curiosity, what was the ballpark figure for that coin when you sold it? (That is, if you can tell me.)

JadeRareCoin

Just out of curiosity, what was the ballpark figure for that coin when you sold it? (That is, if you can tell me.)

Well, I am not suppose to make it public information, but I like to break the rules once in awhile.

$5,700

DoctorPaper

Here's an interesting electrotype I've got. It's of the famous "Roman head" Washington variety with the "scrawny chicken" eagle on the reverse. This satirical piece was made by the English coiners who didn't get the USA contract for making America's first coins in the early 1790's. Out of anger they produced a handful of coins mocking the US by depicting George Washington as an effete emperor and picturing our majestic national bird as a scrawny flea bitten chicken.

Electrotypes are usually made of two thin pieces of copper coating a lead center. On this example, you can see the copper wearing away in places and the lead beginning to show through. I believe there are only 5 or 6 known originals of this token, so if you want an example, you've got to find an electrotype like this.

TheLiberator

Thanks for sharing that! It is a really neat token! What a piece of history!

dorkkarl

electrotypes used to fill a legitimate need, when a copy of a coin might be all a researcher or museum might have available for study. now, w/ the ability to easily distribute digi-pics & such, i doubt they fill much of a role today. but some are indeed very valuable, typically electro's of rare early copper.

K S