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Does this 1836 half dollar appear to be a bogus, contemporary counterfeit to you?

braddickbraddick Posts: 25,118 ✭✭✭✭✭

This one offers many characteristics that are appealing and give me pause as to the authentic nature of its origins.

Then again, I look at the reverse specifically and see some of the spacing between the letters are not appearing mint made.

What are your thoughts?

Comments

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    GreenstangGreenstang Posts: 1,621 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Not an expert on these but my opinion is that it is a counterfeit.

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    TennesseeDaveTennesseeDave Posts: 4,901 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I used to collect Capped Bust halves but was never familiar with all the varieties, but I think it may be real. Definitely not a contemporary counterfeit in my opinion. I look forward to hearing from the experts on this one.

    Trade $'s
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    PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 47,535 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Real but heavily polished.

    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

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    Cougar1978Cougar1978 Posts: 9,779 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 19, 2026 5:43AM

    Why is it not in a TPG holder? Pass

    Beware of big ticket coins that are not in a TPG holder.

    Investor
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    2windy2fish2windy2fish Posts: 1,108 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My first instincts says it’s legit…
    @pursuitofliberty ???

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    pursuitoflibertypursuitofliberty Posts: 7,836 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 18, 2026 9:34PM

    Very much looks like a real O-117 to me. All of the diagnostics are there and the overall look and "fabric" looks right.

    Now she probably won't ever straight grade, because she's been boinked pretty bad, but she does have some meat left on her bones.


    “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
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    CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 33,880 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jacrispies said:

    @BustHalfBrian said:
    It's a real coin in AU cleaned

    Bust Half Brian is BACK!!!!!!

    The coin is genuine, cleaned. The lettering and numerals were hand punched letter by letter, so there is variance in placement.

    I agree.

    Why are some of the inner star points, such as on stars #5-7, so strong?

    Numismatist. 54 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Also won the PNG's Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
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    TomBTomB Posts: 22,980 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That is not an example of a contemporary counterfeit in my opinion.

    Thomas Bush Numismatics & Numismatic Photography

    In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson

    image
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    291fifth291fifth Posts: 25,184 ✭✭✭✭✭

    A Genuine but cleaned coin. The quality is much too high to be a contemporary counterfeit.

    All glory is fleeting.
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    Walkerguy21DWalkerguy21D Posts: 12,100 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Cougar1978 said:
    Why is it not in a TPG holder? Pass

    Beware of big ticket coins that are not in a TPG holder.

    Not sure I’d consider this a big ticket coin, as it’s the lettered edge variety, although I guess a “Sunday bourse” dealer might call it choice AU and ask $300.
    If it were mine I certainly wouldn’t sink another $50 into it to get it in a genny holder.

    Like others have stated, yes it’s genuine, harshly cleaned AU details. Not worth slabbing, and not a good album coin either, unless one is building a higher grade type set as cheaply as possible.

    Successful BST transactions with 177 members. breakdown, scotty1419, mattniss, bigjpst, onlyroosies, Manorcourtman, guitarwes, Ebeneezer, Tonedeaf, Shane6596, Piano1, Ikenefic, RG, PCGSPhoto, stman, Don'tTelltheWife, Boosibri, Ron1968, snowequities, VTchaser, jrt103, SurfinxHI, 78saen, bp777, FHC, RYK, JTHawaii, Opportunity, Kliao, bigtime36, skanderbeg, split37, thebigeng, acloco, Toninginthblood, OKCC, braddick, Coinflip, robcool, fastfreddie, tightbudget, DBSTrader2, nickelsciolist, relaxn, Eagle eye, soldi, silverman68, ElKevvo, sawyerjosh, Schmitz7, talkingwalnut2, konsole, sharkman987, sniocsu, comma, jesbroken, David1234, biosolar, Sullykerry, Moldnut, erwindoc, MichaelDixon, GotTheBug
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    Pnies20Pnies20 Posts: 2,585 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Genuine, as others have said.

    Also, looks to have an interesting (but not particularly rare) experimental reeded edge.

    BHNC #248 … 140 and counting.

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    jesbrokenjesbroken Posts: 11,211 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Looks genuine to me and I agree regarding not worthy of grading, although to sell it, you may be required to do so. Were it mine, it would go in an album for how many ever years possible and look at it again. JMO
    Jim


    When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln

    Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
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    CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 33,880 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Walkerguy21D said:

    @Cougar1978 said:
    Why is it not in a TPG holder? Pass

    Beware of big ticket coins that are not in a TPG holder.

    Not sure I’d consider this a big ticket coin, as it’s the lettered edge variety, although I guess a “Sunday bourse” dealer might call it choice AU and ask $300.
    If it were mine I certainly wouldn’t sink another $50 into it to get it in a genny holder.

    Like others have stated, yes it’s genuine, harshly cleaned AU details. Not worth slabbing, and not a good album coin either, unless one is building a higher grade type set as cheaply as possible.

    Agree that there is no reason to slab this coin. It would probably benefit from some judicious handling every now and then for a few years. Nose oil might be involved.

    Numismatist. 54 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Also won the PNG's Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
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    jacrispiesjacrispies Posts: 1,532 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @CaptHenway said:

    @jacrispies said:

    @BustHalfBrian said:
    It's a real coin in AU cleaned

    Bust Half Brian is BACK!!!!!!

    The coin is genuine, cleaned. The lettering and numerals were hand punched letter by letter, so there is variance in placement.

    I agree.

    Why are some of the inner star points, such as on stars #5-7, so strong?

    Metal flow, striking pressure variances, depth of star punched, die rotation etc. From coin to coin, strike weakness/metal flow is reflected similarly from different coins struck from the same die marriage.

    "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" Matthew 6:33. Young fellow suffering from Bust Half fever.
    BHNC #AN-10
    JRCS #1606

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    coinkatcoinkat Posts: 24,399 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I like your images and the decision to add to a type set album.

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

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    logger7logger7 Posts: 9,658 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Lots of details noticeable on the pictures you posted, 58-to Unc.; how would you grade with the coin in hand?

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    braddickbraddick Posts: 25,118 ✭✭✭✭✭

    UNC details, cleaned.
    Not polished though, yet for sure, dipped and/or cleaned.
    Hairlines are minimal.
    I wouldn't object if someone looking at it called it AU(58) details though.
    Either way, a great album coin.

    @Pnies20 I'd love more information, or at least where to look, regarding the edge.

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    Walkerguy21DWalkerguy21D Posts: 12,100 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The Dansco 7070 is a great place for that new bustie.
    In a similar vein, I too purchased a cleaned “slider” bust half for my 7070, about 16 years ago, as part of a bulk deal from a wholesale guy I knew.
    Time and the album have been kind to it:


    Successful BST transactions with 177 members. breakdown, scotty1419, mattniss, bigjpst, onlyroosies, Manorcourtman, guitarwes, Ebeneezer, Tonedeaf, Shane6596, Piano1, Ikenefic, RG, PCGSPhoto, stman, Don'tTelltheWife, Boosibri, Ron1968, snowequities, VTchaser, jrt103, SurfinxHI, 78saen, bp777, FHC, RYK, JTHawaii, Opportunity, Kliao, bigtime36, skanderbeg, split37, thebigeng, acloco, Toninginthblood, OKCC, braddick, Coinflip, robcool, fastfreddie, tightbudget, DBSTrader2, nickelsciolist, relaxn, Eagle eye, soldi, silverman68, ElKevvo, sawyerjosh, Schmitz7, talkingwalnut2, konsole, sharkman987, sniocsu, comma, jesbroken, David1234, biosolar, Sullykerry, Moldnut, erwindoc, MichaelDixon, GotTheBug
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    pursuitoflibertypursuitofliberty Posts: 7,836 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Nice! @Walkerguy21D

    Sometimes blast white coins just need some time to breathe.

    This one was blast white (from a careful albeit blast white inducing dip) when I purchased her.

    Several years later she looked like this when I sent her into PCGS, where she was graded as an AU58.


    “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
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    Cougar1978Cougar1978 Posts: 9,779 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited June 21, 2026 3:14PM

    The raw 1836 BU above looks nice but a lot of them cleaned. Get it in TPG holder

    Investor
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    CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 33,880 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @braddick said:
    Expert opinions, to be sure.
    This one arrived today and I am pleased with it.
    Not as dull as the seller's photos (above).
    Straight into my Dansco type set album.


    Take it out once a month and give it a little nose oil, applied with your thumb. Post another picture in five years.

    Numismatist. 54 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Also won the PNG's Robert Friedberg Award for "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
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    braddickbraddick Posts: 25,118 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @CaptHenway said:

    @braddick said:

    Take it out once a month and give it a little nose oil, applied with your thumb. Post another picture in five years.

    No, humbly, I don't think I will.

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