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1787 Massachusetts cent real or a good fake?
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<p>[QUOTE="Publius2, post: 4965014, member: 105571"]I am not an expert on the series but I have been studying the Mass half-cents and cents preparatory to bidding on some. I cannot say with certainty that the OP coin is counterfeit or genuine but I don't think there is evidence presented yet that adequately supports a judgement of counterfeit. To wit:</p><p><br /></p><p>The OP coin presents with the proper attributes of the Ryder 4-C die marriage. This is the most common of the half-cent issues. They circulated well in their time. Unlike the Mass cents for which several contemporary counterfeits are known, I can find no reference to a contemporary counterfeit of the half cents. Of course, this does not rule out a modern counterfeit.</p><p><br /></p><p>You might want to contact an expert through the Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4) which I joined last week.</p><p><br /></p><p>Obverse Discussion: The first photo below is the OP's coin's obverse with my overlay notes highlighting the arrow shaft pointing to the left leg of E. The second photo is a MS-63 Ryder 4-C example up in a current Heritage auction. I think the two obverses, despite wear differences, do not show any telltales that would indicate the OPs coin is counterfeit. The issue of lettering sharpness is a red herring in my opinion. Note how sharp and in high relief the MS-63 coin's lettering is. Do you still think the lettering on the OP's coin is unnaturally unworn?</p><p><br /></p><p>Reverse Discussion: The third photo below is of the OP's coin's reverse with my notation of the Reverse C diagnostic where the rightmost arrowhead overlaps the period. The fourth photo is of the MS-63 Ryder 4-C example's reverse. As with the obverse, I don't see any overt reason to doubt the authenticity of the OP's coin. The lettering on the MS-63 example is sharp and well-struck and in high relief. The lettering on the OP's coin is not inconsistent with the observed degree of wear. The HALF CENT lettering and the shield is the first to wear on this coin's reverse and it is not unusual to see incomplete strikes and/or fairly heavy wear in this area even on EF-45 coins. Note how the vertical shield lines are not even struck up on the MS-63 example, even though this is otherwise a well-struck example of the variety.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1193304[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1193305[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1193306[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1193307[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Publius2, post: 4965014, member: 105571"]I am not an expert on the series but I have been studying the Mass half-cents and cents preparatory to bidding on some. I cannot say with certainty that the OP coin is counterfeit or genuine but I don't think there is evidence presented yet that adequately supports a judgement of counterfeit. To wit: The OP coin presents with the proper attributes of the Ryder 4-C die marriage. This is the most common of the half-cent issues. They circulated well in their time. Unlike the Mass cents for which several contemporary counterfeits are known, I can find no reference to a contemporary counterfeit of the half cents. Of course, this does not rule out a modern counterfeit. You might want to contact an expert through the Colonial Coin Collectors Club (C4) which I joined last week. Obverse Discussion: The first photo below is the OP's coin's obverse with my overlay notes highlighting the arrow shaft pointing to the left leg of E. The second photo is a MS-63 Ryder 4-C example up in a current Heritage auction. I think the two obverses, despite wear differences, do not show any telltales that would indicate the OPs coin is counterfeit. The issue of lettering sharpness is a red herring in my opinion. Note how sharp and in high relief the MS-63 coin's lettering is. Do you still think the lettering on the OP's coin is unnaturally unworn? Reverse Discussion: The third photo below is of the OP's coin's reverse with my notation of the Reverse C diagnostic where the rightmost arrowhead overlaps the period. The fourth photo is of the MS-63 Ryder 4-C example's reverse. As with the obverse, I don't see any overt reason to doubt the authenticity of the OP's coin. The lettering on the MS-63 example is sharp and well-struck and in high relief. The lettering on the OP's coin is not inconsistent with the observed degree of wear. The HALF CENT lettering and the shield is the first to wear on this coin's reverse and it is not unusual to see incomplete strikes and/or fairly heavy wear in this area even on EF-45 coins. Note how the vertical shield lines are not even struck up on the MS-63 example, even though this is otherwise a well-struck example of the variety. [ATTACH=full]1193304[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1193305[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1193306[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1193307[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]
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1787 Massachusetts cent real or a good fake?
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