This recently sold on eBay--the obverse is pictured below. The date looks reasonably believable; what other details/surfaces just don't look right? The seller gave this as the explanation: I purchased this item in private collection. It is unusual that in many of it's details, it is different from the normal issue. It was and still is in a coin flip that I bought it in. Written on the card is "1870 Design Engraved (Study Piece)"
I'm not much on IHC's but a possible fantasy coin or trial piece? Or possibly a private minted piece?
Well...there's no record I've seen of a legitimate IHC pattern with the heavy-handed details added to Liberty. The surfaces also lack cartwheel/mint luster one would normally expect from a mint product. So I would agree--it's a "private minted" piece, most likely modern and designed to fool collectors. It serves as a heads-up; watch for similar pieces with other dates.
Study piece for studying fake IHCs? Could also be a practice piece (even if fake) for re-tooling hair detail.
Chinese-made fake Indian Head Cents and fake U.S. Large Cents. The dates on the fake Large Cents include 1854 and 1857. Fake Indian Head Cents I have seen in their photos include 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1877, 1908-S, and 1909-S. Read more at : http://coins.about.com/od/worldcoin...ke-Indian-Head---Large-Cents.htm#step-heading
Not one that we can see. That it was sold as a real "pattern" probably indicates why it was made. That the seller knows details are wrong, but has a story is somewhat suspicious too. Yep, the hobby is going to get awash in 19th C. fakes. This coin is a little more convincing than many on Alibaba etc because the date is reasonably believable--if other details are not.
I agree with KurtS on this one. I see a complete lack of luster that you would normally find on a high grade MS piece. Also, the reeds appear to be off-centered to me. Looking at certified examples, all of them I saw were perfectly on target. Not saying there's not a possibility that it could be an error, but that is quite rare. The coin also appears to be a little fuzzy around the Indian, along with spotty darkened surfaces. With that being said, it is not a proof, either. Just my two cents... I'm no expert, so I could be wrong. -Coinguy56
It's very flat and bland looking. There isn't those small details that you would expect in a higher end IHC.
