USA Bar Cent : undated

I have come in contact with someone who has this Penny and need to get information on getting it valued. How can we tell if it was a reproduction?

 

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Need asap

 

Chances are it is fake, but you never know. Best I can do is point you to http://www.coinfacts.com/colonial_coins/bar_cent/bar_cent.htm for a pic of a real one. Then your friend probably needs to take the coin to a dealer.

 

There is a die crack on all real ones...its on the back with the bars--it looks to be about half-way down in the middle...

Speedy

 

By the way, welcome!!!:smile

 

to CoinTalk Deb, but you sure don't give us much to go on.

If you are talking about what the Redbook calls "Bar Copper", it is described there as having thirteen parallel bars on one side, and a large USA monogram on the other; supposedly copied from a Cotinental button.

There is a picture of one on page 53 of the 2003 edition, and probably close to the same place in later editions. It is believed to have been struck around 1785, and the "A" passes over the "S". There is also a copy struck around 1862, distinguished by the "A" passing under the "S".

The original is valued from $700 in VG condition, to $4,500 in AU, but that may have changed in the intervening years since my book was published.

Just based on the Redbook description, my guess is that it would take a real expert to authenticate an example as either an original, the 1862 copy, or a more modern copy; and I'd make a considerable wager at odds of 8-5, with half your money back if you lose, that the expert would need to see the coin, not a picture.

[Boy, I sure need to learn how to type faster! )

BTW Speedy - where did you get that die crack info? I don't see one on either the picture at CoinFacts, or the less sharp one in the Redbook.

 

Hi Deb, if you can post a picture, we could most likely tell you whether or not your friend's coin is real.

 

Look here:

http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/ColCoinIntros/Bar-Copper.intro.html

The coin info is provided on the next page with the picture of the USA Bar Cent (right arrow button on the bottom of the page).

Ribbit

 

Hopefully one with knowledge of colonials - a very specialized field. Many dealers have never seen a bar cent. If you get a preliminary indication it's genuine, might want to submit it to NGC or PCGS for authentication.

They're pretty spendy, and don't surface often. The most recent sale I found on Heritage was 8 years ago - an AU55 traded for over $5500. No telling what it would go for today.

The Heritage site mentions weights between 5.17 g and 5.80 g. Seems like a pretty wide range of weight.

 

Toad and 900fine - You do realize that you are responding to a year and a half-old question, don't you? The OP has never posted again after asking her question.

 

I was responding to Satootoko but I see it says "retired" under their name. I guess that means they aren't around either? I figured it was old but I ran across it during a search and thought I'd answer their question.

Ribbit

 

Why?

So it probably sold on ebay when she couldn't get a good answer? Hey, if the experts can't tell for sure (albeit without a picture) how would an ebayer know?

Food for thought.

 

These Bar cents move kinda slow.

So do I.

 

With all the debate that goes in between VF20 and VF35... how in the world could you tell the difference on a design like this ?

 

I think I have one and here the picture of mine it weight to almost the exact numbers of 5.80grms it's a light copper.

 

The one in your profile pic? Looks cast. Grainy surfaces. That would likely be fake.

 

Wow, an old thread, and many names that have been AWOL for ages

 

So I don't know if it's legit want to take it in and I thinks it's authentic it even has the cast moles where the Unknown maker used the copper and fused the both 2 piece face and reverse side together. Any feed back would be great . Also hello all.