Contemporary counterfeit Barber Half - struck in brass - (crappy) pics added

abitofthisabitofthat

I picked up an interesting coin today. One that I have never seen before. It is (I believe) a contemporary counterfeit Barber Half - 1906-S in about VG - that is apparently made of brass.

I am used to seeing the occasional contemporary counterfeit coin. Ususally a Seated coin, and usually in white metal. I have never seen a brass Barber before. I will try to post pics later tonight when the kids are in bed.

Has anyone else come across something similar?

coinman420

why would anyone make a counterfeit with the wrong color metal??? maybe just a novelty item?

TomB

<< <i>why would anyone make a counterfeit with the wrong color metal??? maybe just a novelty item? >>



It may have been coated with something else at one time and the coating has since fallen away.

bronco2078

I have a daniel boone commemorative half that is brass or something like it , brass colored anyway . It weighs about the same as a clad half and is a bit fuzzy looking like they took a mold of a real one to make it.

abitofthisabitofthat

Here are pics of the coin. It weighs about 1 gram less than a Barber Half should with this amount of wear. It sounds nothing like a silver coin when tapped against another Barber Half.

PerryHall

<< <i>

<< <i>why would anyone make a counterfeit with the wrong color metal??? maybe just a novelty item? >>



It may have been coated with something else at one time and the coating has since fallen away. >>



Agree---probably was silver plated. A half dollar back then had significant purchasing power.

ebaybuyer

i have seen a few seated dimes, quarters and halves that are made of brass and plated with a silver colored metal, a few of them seemed to circulate for many years after the plating had worn off.

CoinRaritiesOnline

Cool! I find the struck contemporary Barber 50c cfts to be much scarcer (and more interesting) than the cast ones.


One of my favorite personal collections I built over the years was a date & mintmark set of contemprary cft Barber Halves. I got about half the date and mintmark combinations of that huge series. I have no idea if a complete set is even possible, as the counterfeiters weren't looking to make complete sets or anything. For all I know it was as complete as it ever could be.


Some were cast, but many were struck. I stored it in a series of Wayte Raymond-style boards. I had it for so long that some of the coins that still retained their silver wash were starting to develop beautiful toning(!). I traded it to a dealer (who is also a forum member) for some other really cool contemporary cfts a few years ago. Sometimes I really miss that set.

abitofthisabitofthat

Funny that this thread came back to the top. I just mailed this coin to Larry Greenstone (Sea Eagle Coins here on the board). Larry is quitting the coin biz as a dealer, and this is my 'retirement gift' to him. He did a lot with Barber's, and is getting out of the business partially because he got fed up with some of the BS that goes with coin shows, etc. I figured that this would remind him both of the Barbers he dealt in, and some of the shennanigans that go on. I know he would just think it is a cool piece.