1776 Janus Copper

Hello. I'm new at this, so please bear with me. I have obtained a 1776 Janus Colonial Copper coin. With the limited research I have done on this coin, I have found that only one is known to exist. Furthermore, there were, in fact, other replicas of this coin made in 1850 for the 75th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. I'm not a professional coin collector, but to me this coin does look very old. It appears to have been made with two sides, then joined together somehow. I live in Columbus, Ohio and I don't know if any coin dealers are in the area. How would I go about having this coin appraised, verified, graded, etc.? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

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Hello pibbc3,
Welcome to the forum!

If you could take pictures of the obverse ("heads"-side) and reverse ("tails"-side) as well as the side view (so we can see the edge), and post them here, it would be a big help.

I'm not very knowledgeable about coins just yet, but it sounds like it might be a copy or counterfeit(based on its rarity and two sides joined together). Hope it isn't, though!

I'm sure others will have more input.

Regards,
~neuron

 

pics of said coin...

Thanks for the warm welcome! I have attached three pics of the coin in question. I'm not holding my breath, but I will definitely sleep better knowing if this coin is worth anything or not.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated, as I am new to this hobby and still learning 'the ropes'.

Thanks in advance.

 

Hello pibbc3 and welcome to the forum,,

The coin that you have may or may not be real ,it is a 1776 three heads half penny (Janus copper is an erroneous name),modern forgeries are known to exist, a little more info is needed,

the coin should be 23MM in diameter,,weight 5.26 grams, your coin could weight just a bit less from wear

it is listed in Breens under massachusetts pattern coppers number 703 if real your coin could very well buy you a new car with a value of 40,000

the only one known is in a private collection..

The coin is attributed to having been designed by paul Revere just an interesting factoid.

 

The coin is, in fact, exactly 23 mm. My scale is not very accurate, but it is giving me a reading that bounces between 5 and 6 grams.

I guess I'll have to find someone with a more sensitive scale.

Thanks for all your help so far, everyone.

 

Well, I had it weighed at two different jewelry stores and got two different weights.

First store told me it weighed 6.1 grams, the second told me 5.9.

Not sure where to go from here .... it's probably a repro ?

Thanks for everyone's help!

 

Welcome to the forum. Too bad that your introduction is to the world of traps for the unwary coin collector.

And your own scale bounced between 5 and 6. That object does not weigh 5.26g. Whether it's 10.8% heavy, 13.7% heavy, or something in between, really doesn't matter, it's just plain too heavy.

 

LOL. Well, I really appreciate everyone's help and input. I'm happy that I didn't pay anything for it. Perhaps it will make a nice necklace?

Thanks again, all! I'll be back.

 

i also have a 1776 janus head copper half penny. it was left to me from my grandfather recently, it weighs 5.25g, its 23mm in diamitar and it does not have the US copy stamped on it. it looks real but i dont know where to go to get it appraised

 

Please post photos of it - the obverse, reverse, and edge shot.

 

these are pictures taken with my phone, there not the greatest but its the best i could do

 

It looks to me like the edge is a sandwich of the obverse and reverse of the coin joined together... am I seeing that correctly?

 

yes there is what looks like a seem that joins two halves of the coin together.

 

I am not familiar with that specific variety or type. That said, such sandwiching is typically indicative of a replica.

 

why would someone make the replica by sandwiching it. and it could still be a replica even with the weight being 5.25

 

Here is an excerpt of text from Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection, Travers, PCGS, (c)1997 revised, pg.288. Hope this helps explain and provide answers to your questions:

"Usually a cast copy can be easily identified by a seam that runs around the outside edge or circumference of the coin. This seam appears at the point where two molds, obverse and reverse, are joined. As the metal is poured or forced through the opening in the edge and fills the voids of the mold, a 'coin' is produced.

The most commonly seen cast copies of American coins are colonial and territorial pieces. A number of crudely made cast pieces were manufactured for the sole purpose of being sold as souvenirs..."

(It should be noted here that they were/are also produced to deceive.)
​

Weight may be adjusted such that the cast counterfeit is produced slightly heavier with a similar alloy, and filed down to published weight. Or, produced heavier with a core of granules, holed (tapped), and emptied of granules until approximate published weight is achieved, then plugged.

 

thank you. now that i know its a fake i am determind to find a real one. even tho its a copy iv learned so much from the research iv done, thanks alot i really appreciate it

 

You're welcome! :thumb:

 

I have the same coin. What is the best way to authenticate? I live in the Chicago area. THanks.

 

Welcome to CT. As stated previously, post some good images of the coin on all three sides.