1847 Half Eagle stuck in platinum
Boosibri
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I was doing some catalog research looking for a provenance and came across this listing from the B.W Smith sale by Max Mehl in 1915.
"Struck in platinum, partly gold plated. Appears to be of the identical dies as the preceding coin [a normal 1847 $5], but probably a counterfeit of the period when platinum was of much less value than gold. The metal value alone of the coin is now approximately $12.00"
"Struck in platinum, partly gold plated. Appears to be of the identical dies as the preceding coin [a normal 1847 $5], but probably a counterfeit of the period when platinum was of much less value than gold. The metal value alone of the coin is now approximately $12.00"
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I wonder where that coin is now.
Latin American Collection
Just a thought as the mint was playing with platinum in 1814 as a alternate base metal to silver.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
I've seen about half a dozen platinum half eagles over the years. All were contemporary counterfeits. And although I have not seen an 1847, I'm sure that's what this one was as well.
Party Pooper!
Platinum counterfeits of 19th century European gold coins, particularly French 20 Francs, seem to be somewhat more frequently seen than the U.S. counterparts.
They were very common with Spanish 20 peseta and Italian 20 Lire gold coins also. Russia of course struck platinum coinage during the 1830s, so I have to wonder that platinum was used later for forgeries - but often in Russia the forgeries tended to be of Austro-Hungarian coins that were used in Russian or Ukrainian speaking areas like Galicia and Lvov.
"Valuable Counterfeits
Venezuelan Who Imitated Gold Coins in Platinum Cheated Himself.
Recent shipments of platinum from Venezuela have contained a few of
the strangest counterfeit coins ever made — strange in that they are worth
about five times their face value.
Many years ago some person in Venezuela or Colombia discovered that
the native platinum which was plentiful, made a fine imitation of the old
Spanish gold pieces that are still current in South America. He gold-plated
them, and a few of them are still in circulation down there.
Now that platinum is worth far more than gold, these counterfeits are
veritable treasures to him into whose hands they may chance to come."