Morning everybody, Two old coppers here: a Constellatio, and a Massachusetts cent. I would appreciate your comments - are they real? The Constellatio has a nice obverse, but a very weak reverse. The Massachusetts cent (boy is that a difficult word to spell!) seems OK, but when i posted it before somebody summarily dismissed it as a fake w/o further comment. Is it? Sorry for the poor pics, and thank you all! Eduard
I don't see anything to dismiss either as a fake, unless those silverish spots on the Massachusetts are lead spots showing through on an electrotype. Do the edges look good, no sign of a seam? The Nova sure looks OK.
Hi, thanks for your comments. Fom memory, the Mass. cent looks ok on the edge, no seam or such, and the planchet is mainly uniform in color. It does have some planchet rregularities - mall fissures - running on top of the head of the Indian. I seem to remember having seen the same on similar coins at auction. So i was surprised when somebody suggested it is a fake.... Thanks, Eduard
I believe the Massachusetts is a R11-E (R-4) and the Nova Constellatio is a C1-A (R-2/3). :thumb: I can't find a decent pic of a 11-E so I am not 100% positive on my attribution of it but the Nova is without a doubt. Love'em! :eat: Ribbit
I attribute everything. :kewl: That's how you learn! And speaking of attributing & learning, how's that New Jersey coming along? You need to dew your homework. :goof: Ribbit Ps: I'll give you a hint . . . It's an R-5. :whistle:
Yes- you have to practise this attribution, even before buying. That is tough sometimes with ebay pictures, but it is one other way to cherry pick items. Nice coins Eduard - really like how nice the planchets are.
From what I see in the pictures I feel that they are most likely genuine. I don't see anything that doesn't ring true.
Thank you Guys once again. I picked up the Mass. cent from the bank yesterday as i was curious to see it again in- hand. It certainly has that "real" look and feel to it. Your comments also reassured me. As i said before, when i posted this coin a year ago or so, someone rapidly and curtly dismissed as a fake. No reason given. I have no problem at all with any comments, as long as they are well founded. And those were not. I guess in coins, like in everywalk of life, the old maxim holds true: "If you don't know enough to give advice, DONT'!" Thanks, Eduard
You might want to do something about that white growth on the Massachusetts Cent. I hate for it to become malignant. dd: I've also had that problem of someone saying something was fake, with no reason given, so it went in one ear and out the bladder. Ribbit
Thank H.T for the friendly advice! i just took better pics of the coin. The white spots you see on OP pics were, i think, fluff from the 2x2. P.S: This coin always reminds me of a story i read about 15/20 years ago about a collector at a show (Michigan i think) who picked up a Massachusetts Cent from a dealers junk box, just because he thought it was different somehow. However, he could not quite tell what about it was different. In his curiosity he then went out and bought himself a red book or some catalogue, and then to his amazement he found out exactly what was different: the coin he had bought for a few dollars was the very rare "arrows on the left talon" variety instead of the usual arrow on the right type!! Worth, if i recall, a couple of thousand $$ even back then. The article said that the collector then went back to the dealer to share with him the news and the financial benefits, but the dealer refused saying that what was sold was sold! Eduard
Glad to hear it was just fluff. I had a somewhat similar situation occur with 17th Century English Traders Token. I got it fairly cheap and when it arrived and I took better pics of it, I realized it had been double struck. So I messaged the seller and told him it was double struck and he was like . . . No it isn't! It's just struck off-center and they all look like that. :goof: I just giggled and shook my head, since I know a double struck coin when I see one and now that little baby resides in my itty bitty 17th Century English Traders Token Collection. Ribbit Ps: It was a Diss Farthing.
