There is a 1841 half cent on the bay right now that has piqued my interest. I haven't been able to find much information on these and don't really know too much of the market. Does anyone here know much about them or what they normally sell for? These are the sellers pics; interesting for sure, bu the price seems a bit steep for a copy.
I don't know anything about this specific one, but electrotypes were frequently made for museum display or for collectors in the 19th century. I have no idea what to pay for one.
They are collectible. I have paid $40 for the 1/2 cent I own but that was about ten tears ago and the owner had no interest in it. I just threw out a number that I thought was fair. Probably could have gotten it for much less. I'll bet a Large cent can sell for over $100 depending how good it is. Some electros are crude w/round blobs and lots of white metal showing. I have a Seated Half dollar electrotype In PROOF copper (mirror, flat rims, wire edge, sharp reeding) that MUST have been made by the U.S. Mint as the only way it can be identified as NOT A PATTERN is the tiny seam on the edge where the halves are joined and its specific gravity.
Price seems too high to me. I have three of the 1840's electrotypes, I've had them for several years and I paid $200 for the group. I would thick a more reasonable price today would be in the $150 - $200 range for one of those electros now. I also don't like the looks of that one. Seems rather crude to be a contemporary one. Some of the electos of those half cents I have seen still show the mirror fields.
Thanks for that @Conder101; I was thinking along the same lines as far as the quality is concerned, but I didn't suspect that this was a modern piece at all. I've been on the lookout for one since you had mentioned them in a thread several months ago but haven't seen any hit the market (at least where I've been looking).
For those (me too) who have no clue as to what this post is about; read about electrotype here; http://en.mimi.hu/numismatic/electrotype.html Dave
There are two in the EAC sale coming up April 9th, an 1841 and an 1845 (and a circulated proof 1846). http://eacs.org/docs/2016EACSalePart1.pdf Pg 19 lots 90, 91, and 92
Sweet thanks; care to suggest a bid price? I was somewhere in the 150-175 range for the electrotypes. The proof, though circulated, will probably get out of my current budget pretty quickly. I just bought a house last week and coin funds are tight these days.
