How do you like electrotype large cents?
BUFFNIXX
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There is for sale a 1793 chain "ameri.” large cent electrotype on flea bay right now, here are its pictures. What do you think of these electrotypes. Seems like it would be a nice way to fill that hole for just a few hundred dollars. And I think they were made in the 1860s? I understand this is a copy of an actual coin and the original would cost several tens of thousands of dollars right now. Opinions?
Collector of Buffalo Nickels and other 20th century United States Coinage
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
a.k.a "The BUFFINATOR"
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Comments
I'm not a fan of electrotypes being used as substitutes to the real thing. But electrotypes are cool on their merit.
I love them. While your's is not the best, I have seen professionally made electros of US coins as sharp as the original, and PL with no lumps. The only way to tell was a very thin line through the center of the edge reeds. I suspect these were actually made at the U.S. Mint. Tag Andy Lustig as I'm sure he has seen these beautiful copies of Liberty seated coinage too,
@MrEureka
I think electrotypes are cool, both the history and making of them. There were recently some photos posted of a show exhibit and some members here have created some modern ones.
A cool thing is that PCGS will even certify some electrotypes such as the following:
Electrotypes are interesting. That electrotype is plain ugly to me.
CCAC Representative of the General Public
Columnist for The Numismatist
2021 Young Numismatist of the Year
Although I have seen some outstanding, very well made electrotype large Cents, they seem like every other copy of a real coin to me, not very exciting. I have a Gallery Mint copy of a 1796 half dollar, which I bought when I didn't own the real thing. It never really pleased me.
While I think that's a neat coin, it looks like the word 'copy' is stamped in the bottom of the chain. Without that, I would like it.
To me they are just another type of fake. I've never owned one and never wanted to.
Electrotypes have never interested me. They lack the allure of originality.....which, to me, is important. Cheers, RickO
Interesting comments. Long ago museums would make copies of their coins for study. That dollar is beautiful!
The electrotype shown to be an "AMERI." example appears
to me to be a Sheldon 3 obverse combined with a
Sheldon 1 reverse making it unlikely it was copied from an
original coin. It seems more like an electrotype of a fake and
very poorly done.
R.I.P. Bear
You are correct. The obverse was made from an S-3.
Nineteenth century electrotypes served a legitimate hobby purpose and aided in establishing the early cent and half-cent variety catalogs. Many museum collections used them in place of coins they could not obtain. However, the best electrotypes, made by legitimate collectors (or Franklin Peale at the Philadelphia Mint) were clearly copies and treated as such by collectors and auctioneers.
The item in the original post does not, in my opinion, qualify as a legitimate electrotype, even if the obverse and reverse were correctly paired.
I'd pass on that one.
Definitely not a "genuine" electrotype. They didn't say "copy" because they predate the Hobby protection act. They always had matched obverse/reverse because the molds were made from a single coin.
Well-made antique electrotypes are collectibles in their own right IMO. The one depicted in the OP is amateurish
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]