Seems easy to me, but my favorite dealer (who's seen it in hand) said "clear modern copy". I don't expect him to know every die marriage, but this seems pretty well known. I attribute as a common clearly cleaned in the past N-4, but what say you? (It's not clipped, just my bad editing)
I don't see a die break Paul, but it may just be an earlier die state? I can read the diagnostics, but I've missed the overall before.
I don't know. Something has red flags flashing in the back of my head, but it does perfectly match N-4 from what I can see.
Do you see the vertical gouge in Ms. Liberty's cheek? That is a characteristic of the very well made Bay Area counterfeits. However, I believe the gouge is a little off of where is should be for these counterfeits. Also, the large cents that were produced were typically of 1853, though other dates are known, too. Is there any doubling at all on the bottom of the date? The impaired surfaces in combination with the cheek problem were likely what made the dealer comment on the likelihood of it being fake. By the way, a gorgeous Bay Area counterfeit is the only coin I have ever been fooled on, as far as I know, and I purchased one raw in around 1997.
