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1877 Cent ..... Real..... Fake or Circulated Proof
ifthevamzarockin
Posts: 8,915 ✭✭✭✭✭
Not my coin, not my photos. Photo color and lighting is off balance, last photo shows color better.
Will link auction after some replies.
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Most likely fake, since it does not have the shallow N.
Possible that it is a circulated proof, but very unlikely since they are so scarce.
If it helps, my dad has one just like this in his collection.
I vote counterfeit.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
The "antiquing" makes me very suspicious of it.
That said, while I was at ANACS I saw a mid-grade 1877 with the strong N's that must have been a circulated Proof, even though there was nothing about it that looked at all like a Proof strike.
TD
I would be surprised if those denticals at 7oclock are from a proof. I would say fake but I would want to weight it and and look at the date a little closer if I was you
I took a look at the only one I have these days and I deemed it no help
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
I Vote El Fako, although it looks good for any other year, the strong N for that date scares me
Steve
does anyone else see a different coin than the blue one when you mouseover for the main image? werid.
@LanceNewmanOCC.... I see a definite difference in the colors of the tarnish.... Cheers, RickO
I'll go nfg as well
Listing ended by the seller.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1877-Indian-Head-One-Cent-Penny-Philadelphia-Mint-/133664459547?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&nma=true&si=o1RhNvg3%2Fg1%2F1AGVx0TucY3pEZ0%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc
Fake or altered date. The obverse clash indicates business strike but the non-shallow N would be proof. Don’t think it’s possible with this date.
The denticles on the obverse are kind of mushy for a Proof... that, the clashing. and a bold N reverse?? I don't think so...
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The date doesn't look right. The second 7 looks bolder and slightly larger than the first 7 which leads me to believe that someone took a real cent from the 1870's, removed the last digit from the date, and then added a 7.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I agree with @PerryHall when he says the date doesn't look right.
Another vote for fake or altered. ONE CENT looks wrong. So does the date. So does the solid and pronounced N
It's been some years since I collected Indians however.
“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
Fake. The reverse gives it away. Never was a proof - rims and denticles too mushy.
There are several diagnostics that make the item shown by the OP (though not theirs) a fake.
Looking at the reverse, the obvious issue that most casual observers will see is the lack of the shallow “N” in a genuine coin as seen in the figure below. The medal on the left vs. the genuine coin on the right.
Looking at the obverse; let’s look first at the engraver’s initial “L”. In the fake on the right, you will see the stem in the “L” is thick and blob-like. The genuine coin on the left has a narrow thin stem and struck without any blob-like features. The second item, the collar, is pointed in the genuine and rounded on the fake. The third and most obvious is the date. Looking only at the “1” in the date. As you can see the squared off base on the genuine coin on the left vs. the thin flat base on the fake on the right.
Continuing with the obverse, you will note several features in the lettering “UNITED”. I am only showing the obvious lettering here. On the “N” on the genuine coin on the left, there is and serif. Whereas, on the fake on the right, the bottom of the “N” is block-like and no serif. The “E” in UNITED” also has block-like features on the fake and a more curved feature on the genuine coin.
While there are many more fake features to point out, the bottom line is the OP has featured a fake 1877 Indian cent.
Looks fake to me.
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As others have stated, the reverse is not right for a business strike. More striking than the wonderful analysis in the previous messages, is the second "7". It's in higher relief than the first "7", which is a no-no.