1863 Indian Head Penny with medal alignment?
cjdilego
Posts: 32 ✭✭✭
Hi, I am looking for any type of info that I can find on a 1863 Indian Head penny that I have which has a medal alignment reverse?
https://us.v-cdn.net/6027503/uploads/editor/ha/w3b6grdbxz25.jpg
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Comments
That coin is in pretty rough shape and the photos are a little blurry. The coin looks like it was struck a little off center. There were some trial strikes done in 1863 that were medal turn, but you coin doesn't seem to match the date position of any of those. There seem to be some lumps of metal at various places on the coin, like on the N in ONE on the reverse, and next to the N in CENT on the reverse, so I would say you have a contemporary counterfeit.
JMHO
Life member of ANA
Medal alignment errors are relatively common during the Civil War. I suspect that they hired an incompetent die setter because some other employee went to war.
Similar problems cropped up during World War II because many regular mint employees were off fighting the war.
@cjdilego.....Welcome aboard....That coin appears to have spent some years in the ground... Was it an MD find? Definitely seen some abuse... Cheers, RickO