Well thats something you don't see every day. Sorry, don't know about price. Looks pretty corroded though. Its a post-colonial issue cent. Unity States.
Looking for info on my coin too... I have a coin posted on the US Coins forum. I'm looking for info on the coin. It is in poor condition. Could you post a picture of the front of your coin please. Thanks
Welcoem to the Forum! Just click on the second attachement and you can see the coin. The one that says coin_1.bmp
The picture is from my scanner and did not come out that good, it has been in a coin holder for at least the last 30 years and I don't know what to use to clean it or if it should be just left as is, the coin holder is not sealed just cardboard with plastic to see thru.
Well for one, it can't be an 1783 Cent as the first official U.S. Cent was not produced until 1793! If genuine, the coin may be in VG condition but the value depends on which Variety (Type) that it is. Frank
Welcome to the forum. But sorry to say, it's fake. as noted US mintage starts 1793 The reverse looks like a 1793 but the Obverse should have a 'flowing hair'
It says Washington & Independence on the front side & Unity States of America on the back, The bottom of the date is worn down so I just assumed it was 1783, at first I thought it said 1799 but after taking it from the coin holder it looks like the last number is a 3. Washington is facing left and his hair looks braided. I looked on ebay and saw a similar coin that was dated 1783 and the 1799 is completely different. How would I clean the coin or should I just leave it alone? It looks like this coin I found on ebay : http://cgi.ebay.com/1783-Washington...5|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50
Hey don't judge it too quickly! It is a " Unity States" Washington token, probably made around 1820. They are often collected with Colonial coins, probably due to the 1783 date and the Washington connection.
The coin IS real. Its a 1783 Post-Colonial Washigton Cent. Look it up in your redbook. And as stated before, it was made later than 1783 probably in the early 1800's.
Thanks for the info, I wasn't sure if it was real or a reproduction. It looks very old and if it is only 190 years old instead over 220 it doesn't matter to me, at least now I know not to throw it out! Maybe this will be the start of coin collecting for me.
Sorry! I was at work when I made the post and I could not open the Obverse picture file due to the policies in force, thus i was basing my assessment on the Reverse alone. You are right, the coin is a 1783 Washington One Cent Token and if real, it may bring $200 or so. It would really need to be checked by a professional as even with great pictures, we could only make a guess as to whether it is authentic or not! Frank
Should I clean the coin or leave it alone? If it can be cleaned what should be used and what should I stay away from? Thanks
There are two very similar varieties of this piece, which is a part of the Washington & Independence Series. The one you found on ebay is the common variety, and is known by the following ids: Baker 1, Garrett 1693, Picker 297, WA. NC. 1783.1 It is listed as a rarity 1 (over 4000 known, common). Values in my 1999 reference are listed as VG $75, VF $200, XF $400. Supposedly James Kean of Philadelphia distributed the "Unity States" pieces in America. I can not tell for certain from your pictures which variety you have, but on the slim chance you might have the scarce type, look at the word "Unity", and in particular the letters "TY". Look at the example found on ebay, and note that there is a leaf that is much closer to the "Y" than the "T". If, on your example, the leaf is much closer to the "T" than the "Y", then you have a very scarce item. This variety is probably a rarity 8 (5 to 9 known), but only one piece is located. The id for this variety is Baker 1A. From what I can tell, yours is the common type, but it is certainly worth while for you to examine it to be sure.
