Why are these so cheap?

TwoKopeiki

A pick-up from a local dealer for $30. Looking in my outdated Krause - these are priced ridiculously cheap ($50 as an UNC?). Is this due to high mintage figures? I checked the Bay of E and the prices appear to be all over the board for these.

coinpictures

East India Coppers do tend to be incredibly cheap (at least catalogwise)... must be hoards of them out there.

lordmarcovan

Wow, the lettering on that one looks like a Chinese fake.

Mind you, I am not suggesting it IS a Chinese fake (why would they bother?), but the lettering really looks "off" somehow.

Is that a characteristic of these? I've had East India Company pieces of that era, but in lower grade. Were any of these struck in India that early? That might explain the crude lettering.

koincollect

<< <i>Wow, the lettering on that one looks like a Chinese fake.

Mind you, I am not suggesting it IS a Chinese fake (why would they bother?), but the lettering really looks "off" somehow. >>





Definitely a fake. The first time I have seen someone fake this one! As LordM says the lettering is off and so are the flags in the crest.

These cost less than CV in grades till AU, but UNC grades is a different story! I would return the piece if I were you.

lordmarcovan

Look at the legends below the date, too. They're really badly done.

I agree- return it. Glad somebody else chimed in, so I know I'm not crazy. This thing is a fake.

WHY somebody faked it is anyone's guess, and if you were in it for a tad less money, I'd say, ahh, heck, keep it as a curiosity, but thirty bucks is a bit steep for a fake.

Sorry to be the harbinger of doom.

1jester

An obvious fake. I've owned, and later sold a few of these (authentic) coins and they unfortunately don't command high market values. So keep looking; I'm sure you'll find a nice one for cheap.

lordmarcovan

I am pretty sure I had an 1835 half-anna, but like I said, it was really low grade. Maybe a one- or two-dollar coin, at most.

ozzysdad47

I've got one of them that's pretty worn but, I'll have a look for it and post a pic, But like LordM said, it's probably only a 2 dollar coin if that.
I think i know where it is. something about that coin doesn't look right to me either.


I told you it looked pretty bad.................LOL... But i believe it to be more genuine, it's probably got .40 cent's of copper in it though

theboz11

Here is a real one from my Lions collection in UNC for comparison

ozzysdad47

Negative Image shows a little more.......

TwoKopeiki

Wow, a counterfeit - fantastic! This makes it a much more interesting piece, than if it was original. Thanks, everyone

lordmarcovan

Well, there's the right attitude. Take one on the chin and keep right on grinnin'!

You're right, though- it being counterfeit does make it interesting. Not thirty-dollar-interesting, to my mind, but if you're okay with that, then it's all good.

(Edit... yeah... I forgot you collect counterfeits. Well, it couldn't have happened to a better person, then.)

Can't help but wonder what the circumstances behind the fakery were.

Say- your backdrop in the picture is kinda neat... reminiscent of the PCGS TrueView background.

spoon

Very likely is fake. BUT, if fake, certainly a contemporary. Which I would think is worth at least the $30 you paid for it. And as a contemporary cntft, it is a very nice one!