Oh my. That coin could be worth a bit more than that, but only if it's fake. It looks a lot like VAM 67, which is a contemporary counterfeit.
Ask and you shall receive. http://www.vamworld.com/1901-O VAM-67 Opening text: (Pictures you can view inside link) 1901-O VAM-67 Discovery by Brian Raines, 2013 67(privately made) (Slanted Date, Medium O Mint Mark) (181) I- R-7 Obverse - Slanted date with right 1 higher than left 1 and date at right edge of the normal lateral position. Slightly rounded edges where field meets design. no die cracks or polishing lines in LIBERTY or cotton boll stems. Die defects-Die chip at I in PLUIBUS and lines at 5&6 left stars. Reverse - Normal medium III O mint mark with C4 reverse design type. Slightly rounded edges where fields meets design. no die cracks or polishing lines on eagle. Die defects-Heavy curved raised lines in field below eagle's right wing. Collar diameter varied from 1.491-1.497", same as 1900o VAMC22v2 and 1901o VAM 61 counterfeits.
Yes, of course. Three things that hit me right away when I saw this that made me think possible counterfeit were (1) the date position, (2) the C4 reverse, and (3) the fact that it's low grade. It needs a closer inspection than can be given with the initial photos. If it is counterfeit, then the back story of finding it during a renovation becomes more interesting. As the origin of these is still a bit of a mystery, knowing where it was found and the possibility of ascertaining when it was put there could both be valuable clues.
I'm kind of torn between VAM 11, VAM 35 (both real, worth $20) and VAM 67 (contemporary counterfeit, worth much more). It comes down to the position of the mint mark and appearance of fine details and transitions from design to field. Both hard to tell from the pictures. Mind you, if this were a counterfeit and you were to send it in to a grading service, they'd probably miss it. Many of these contemporary counterfeits have been found in good holders, as they're hard to spot on heavily circulated coins.
