I have a client who showed me an 1855 FE prototype I believe to be a judds#168 the 95 grain lighter weight coin. I would grade it MS 63 Red. Can anyone give me an idea as to this coins approx. value? Also, are there counterfit coins for this one to be aware of ? Thank you. Gencoin
If you believe this coin to be a JUDD pattern the first thing that you should do is have it certified by a top grading company. The prices on pattern coins are not set in stone due to infrequent trading. A major auction is going to be your best bet, There are several auction houses that would be able to help you in bring this item to market.
The remarks made by National dealer are well taken. The pattern coins trade infrequently but there is a very enthusiastic and loyal community of collectors for such. Most of the major auction firms know who these folks are. Counterfeits are rare among patterns, but not completely unknown. Generally speaking, anything of significant value has been faked at one time or another. This is why it would be good to have the piece certified and graded by a top grading house, as suggested. It seems to me that it would be more likely for counterfeiters to target the 1856 FE cent, a highly desirable coin.
gencoin307 - J168s in PR 63 generally go for $1200 to $1700 wholesale, $1800 to $2200 retail. However, they are very rarely red. That would certainly add some value. Will you be at the FUN show?
