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Very interesting currently listed ebay Capped Bust Half Dollars
mozin
Posts: 8,755 ✭✭✭
These three Capped Bust Half Dollars are currently listed by the same seller on ebay. Compare closely the design features on the obverses, and the reverses. The star positions and flatness, and date figures, are key on the obverse. Notice Miss Liberty has the same mouth expression.
I think you will need no help on the reverse comparisons. Don't bother comparing toning or marks.
1830
1831
1833
What do you make of these coins? Three different authentic coins? A photoshop altered last digit in date, and marks added or removed? Bogus?
I think you will need no help on the reverse comparisons. Don't bother comparing toning or marks.
1830
1831
1833
What do you make of these coins? Three different authentic coins? A photoshop altered last digit in date, and marks added or removed? Bogus?
I collect Capped Bust series by variety in PCGS AU/MS grades.
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Good eye mozin! I took a look at each auction and, imho, these are cast counterfeit coins. Not just the bust halves, but ALL of the coins they are offering. Take a look at the Lafayette Dollars and the Hawaiian Dollar. Cast copies, but pretty good ones at that. It was clever of them to take one REAL Bust Half to make a few molds, then alter the final digit to get a variety of dates. Take a look at the image below to see what I mean. I am sure that I can attribute the variety used to make the mold, but it will take me a bit of time after I post this. Another thing that I learned from the auctions: the seller is NOT in the U.S., but most likely in China.
WH
It looks like they used an 1831 O-116 to make the mold for the counterfeits. I was guessing that it was an 1830 die marriage due to the fact that of the 3 halves, the 1830 had the most realistic looking date. The 1831 has a funny looking second 1 in the date, but that could be due to the poor image quality. Without question I am certain that they used 1831 reverse "L", which is technically only used on one die marriage for all years. Correct me if I am wrong on that statement. All diagnostics point to obverse "10", which would make it an 1831 O-116. One thing for certain is that they all use the same reverse and they all use the same base die for the obverse.
Conclusion: ALL are cast copies.
And great job Dennis in both your expertise and explanation.
I reported the seller to eBay.
That is really an amazing catch. And ebay scammers are getting a little better with each passing day.
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
Here's the response from eBay:
Dear Dennis,
Thank you for writing eBay in regard to suspicious coin listings.
Because eBay does not employ or train its Trust & Safety Customer Support Representatives to be experts in the area of coins and currency, we rely on expert opinions from knowledgeable people as well as reliable third party organizations, such as the American Numismatic Association (ANA).
Your report will be reviewed by a group of members that comprise a community watch group for coin auctions. They then confer amongst themselves and either agree or disagree that the listings are problematic. They then forward that information to the ANA for review.
The ANA can then agree or disagree after careful consideration. If they agree, they then contact the seller directly. Sellers are then afforded
24 hours in which to revise or cancel the auctions. If they fail to do so, eBay must cancel the auction.
Well......the auctions end tomorrow, so I guess people are going to get burned by this seller. Sounds like it could take weeks to resolve the problem through eBay and the ANA. Most of the auctions are at low levels, so people won't get hurt too badly. Although the winner of the Lafayette Dollar is not going to be too happy.
Very cool counterfeits.
<< <i>That's what I love about this forum, a wealth of knowledge! >>
I'll second that
1807 that can't be real
they are all artificially crusted too
As someone else said "buying a graded coin from good TPG is a great idea"
<< <i>Wow, I would have never known
As someone else said "buying a graded coin from good TPG is a great idea" >>
Or learn about a coin before you buy one and save the plastic fee-added-tax
<< <i>Or learn about a coin before you buy one and save the plastic fee-added-tax
Hey, someone else finally gets it!