hi all ,, i'm still confused about this cent,,, breen type 2? 1793 chain cent , struck on thin planchet , measure's approx. 27mm weight approx . 11.9g
It had the design of an S-2 but it just doesn't look right and it is well below standard weight of 13.48 grams and almost a full gram below the lowest normally seen weight. The chain links on the reverse look much heavier than they should. The orerall relief is too low. Over all I strongly suspect this is a modern Chinese fake. I checked my reference pictures of counterfeits produced by one of the major Chinese counterfeiters and it matches his 93 chain. Same variety, same low relief, same heavy chain.
Sadly, my first reaction (*looks like a counterfeit) was the same as Conder's more reasoned conclusion.
In addition to the above described problems, The hair details are way too strong for a Chain Cent. The Portrait designs on these have subtle hair design blending together and certainly not the bold defined locks of this coin which resembles the Wreath Cents more than the Chains. It is a warning to us because the lettering is well done in both style and placement with only a slightly low I distinguishing it from the authentic Obverse 1 which has a slightly high I and a subtle difference in the rotation of the B.
