Folks, Let me know what you think here, I came across it and figured it could be fake, but given the clear cut of the date, and other sharp details, if figured I should risk the money and grab it in case it is a different/unique coin... I figure if there is a 1794 with a 1795 hair, why cant their be a 1795 with a 1794 hair?? This is a scan, it looks much sweeter in hand...
I'm far from a large cent cent expert but I can tell you that I am unable to find a die marriage match for the coin for plain edge or lettered edge for that matter. I'm interested to see what the large cent gurus say.
Thats my point - no die match - but many similarities...the double berry on the lower left is 1794, as is the leaf in the wreath line to the right of the bow...the left stem over the ribbon, etc....I cant find a match for the two berries in the upper left of the wreath though.... why fake one so bad - how do you pit it like this? how do you get the date sharp? why fake one that is SOOO different an expert would notice and call it fake? and if you are not sophisticated, how would you fake one so close cant cast one from a die pair that doesnt exist right???
The low T in cent matches several variations of 1794 back the gap between T and ES in states matches several 1794 variations The broken right stem (e.g. not a straight line) matches several variations The 4 right berries match several variations the 100 with the space between the 1 and the 00 and the right 0 lower than the left 0 match a few... http://www.pcgscoinfacts.com/CoinImages.aspx?s=901374
And that is why I did not call it fake. It could be a counterfeit, but I just can't say from the pictures. I do kind of agree with your logic, but still if you look at http://www.aliexpress.com/item-img/1795-LIBERTY-CAP-Large-Cent/755602314.html this site yours almost looks like a buried and corroded version of this coin. Notice I said almost. I think you need to wait for Conder or Marshall.
ugh...this gentleman had a huge collection of coins at the show and said that he bought it 5 or six years ago in a huge estate....hmmm I see that one has a reeded edge, mine does not... still stinks to see that... looks like the space between the 1 and the 00 is greater on mine, but I still dont like it... Thanks a ton for digging that up! how would you fake aging like that?
Because the 1794 with 1795 hair came at the end of the production of the 1794's which were made in late 1795. The plain edge 1795's were not struck until late December 1795 and early 1796. This coin has a head style and the placement of Liberty that was used in early 1794 almost two years earlier. So a 1794 with the style of 95 makes sense, a 1795 with a style discontinued two years earlier doesn't. And i haven't even studied the reverse yet.
I would assume you bury it for a few years - just not sure myself. And maybe it is a contemporary counterfeit - too hard for me to say.
So consensus is that it is a fake, question is whether it is recent or old? If it is old, is it collectible?
The reverse has a couple of features found on other varieties, but none quite done correctly. The reverse has the narrowing ribbons found on 1794 Rev FF as well as a long tailed R unique (or semi unique if considered the same as the Rev W R) to that variety (probably a punch intended for another denomination). So I presume this is the base model for the reverse. But the leaves under O is a double leaf rather than triplet. The M is neither the narrow M of the early 94s nor the wide M of the late 94s or later. The berries are very large and uncommon in this series. Also, the single berry between D S and double berry under ST is not seen. Also the long thin lowest curl is not seen. The reverse would be classified as the reverse of 94 with the single leaf under C(E) and flattened loops. It also has dentils which are too even and uniform rather than sawtooth like. The originals were more dentil and less gap than this. I would definitely think this is counterfeit/token rather than an alteration or new variety. There is also an interesting story of a 94/95 coin involving the S-63 in Breen. While it doesn't describe this coin, it could be evidence of someone trying to create something new. Breen narrows the time frame down between 1960 and 1988 for that "new" find.
Everything is collectable, even counterfeits. You just have to locate a collector. However, I wouldn't expect anything near the price of the real thing.
