An interesting Early "Bar" Copper for Review- Not a Chinese Counterfeit

This one actually goes back to the '70's and an article written by Newman about a series of counterfeit Colonial "coins".

The 1st image is of the one he documented (on the right) and a recent internet listed example (which was removed):


And then there were more, including two examples submitted to a TPG:



Research article at: https://coinweek.com/counterfeits/s...eek-1785-bar-copper-1-page-attribution-guide/

Best, Jack

 

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Such an iconic design and has long been my dream coin once I win the lottery. Thanks for posting this and most especially appreciate the Facebook counterfeit watch list mentioned in the article.

 

Great thanks for posting this. These are deceptive now I know what to look for if I ever run across one. Especially the die line between the bars

 

Thank you for posting this, Jack. A very interesting topic! The group of experts behind this work is to be commended for the excellent work.

I am amazed at the quality of these early struck counterfeits.

I would love to add of an example to my collection, and it is good to know that the collecting community has not been alerted to the existence of these high quality fakes.

I also seem to recall (probably from something I read in Bowers and Merena quarterly magazine back in the late 80's, early 90'S0), that another known counterfeit was known back then which was very deceptive and it could only be distinguished from genuine specimens because it lacked a tiny "spike" off the side of one of the bars. Maybe somebody recalls this.

 

Randy, I feel your pain. I remember when I was quite young and looked into my Redbook and saw the Bar Cent. At that time it was $90 in unc. "Wow" sez I, when I grow up I'll be able to own one. Well, the decades have passed, and I'm still waiting. Such simple beauty.

 

Coin Week republished this one and featured it at: https://coinweek.com/counterfeits/s...eek-1785-bar-copper-1-page-attribution-guide/

 

Congrats on the article.

 

Since you posted this, I actually scratched my lifelong itch for a bar copper. This weekend I am separated from my coins and I started getting very nervous reading this piece again. Particularly the part about the scratches between the bars. My coin is in a details holder for scratches between the bars.... I think I am relieved though because I am confident mine doesn't have the rim ding.... But you sure got my blood pumping! Thanks again for keeping us all abreast of these counterfeits. And a major congrats on being published.