Recently, over on Numisforums, a new member posted this coin along with the question: "Hi, I am wondering if this coin was damaged through the die process. Does anyone have any ideas? Is this a coin that has any value? Thanks in advance." Since NF is not really US coin focused, I offered to post it over here. What do you all think?
Wow now that is impressive. It looks like a fraction of one coin was minted onto fully minted coin. Does that make it worth two cents instead of one?
A real error would be valuable. This one looks off (like the alibaba fakes) but I will wait for those with more experience to offer their opinions. Here is an image of a known real example https://coins.www.collectors-society.com/wcm/CoinView.aspx?sc=634515
The secondary strike has the details of the reverse on both sides. I am in the fake camp. Any reputable TGP would pass on it because of the damage. It would be interesting to know if the Die crack from the left wreath is a known die stage.
I agree with @Pickin and Grinin. The reverse is on both sides therefore I believe it to be a vise job.
Not sure on this one. It looks like it could be legitimate. The amount of damage makes me a bit suspicious, but sometimes these not so obvious errors can circulate for awhile before they're found. Like this one: https://www.greatcollections.com/Co...-Struck-2nd-Strike-95-Off-Center-NGC-VG-08-BN Edit: Ah! I known. If we can determine if the deticles are raised or incuse, that will tell us if it's a "vice job" or double struck.
Both sides of the coin show the edge of the wreath, which is only on the reverse of The Indian Head Cent. If the coin was struck once to get the full design and didn’t eject properly, you would have the partial design. In order to have the reverse on both sides of the original coin it would’ve had to have been flipped over in the exact same position to get the reverse on the second side. Astronomical odds for that to happen.
Honestly I don't think there is enough design detail present to positively say if both sides of the vice job/second strike are the reverse. I too think it looks like it might be the reverse design on both sides, but I need more evidence before I can come to a conclusion.
Understood but a very think edge of the wreath is present. The reverse of the coin looks extremely beat up to me when compared to the obverse.
My biggest concern is that the edges of the so-called second strike are not tapered the way the genuine picture shows. The edges are straight, like it was made this way. I'll bet the damage was added intentionally to throw you off the markers of a genuine error.
Thanks all. Here is some added info and pictures from the coin's owner: "We found these coins in a baggie in my Dad’s top drawer. He hand wrote a list of all the coins. If it is fake, he wouldn’t have had a clue! These coins were probably hanging out in that drawer for the past 50 years. He wasn’t a collector, and no one in my family wanted the coins so I just took them."
IDK if it is real or fake. If it is a genuine 1862 coin, there is the extra material at 7-8 o'clock. Is the acquisition of this coin older than when they were making these fakes? Since the coin is damaged, was someone experimenting with this coin to make a vise job look like a valuable error? The 2nd photo in post 13 the denticles look incused and in the 3rd photo they look raised. If they are incused I think that means it's a vise job. You have the coin in hand you can look at it and feel it and see if they are incused.
