possible counterfeit seated half

hey all, I picked this 1841-O seated half out of my dealer's junk bin over the weekend. I was just wondering if you all agree with him that it is counterfeit. Aside from being obviously double-stamped (doubling on face stars, pole, hat, and reverse lettering) it is also in medal alignment.

I paid $2 for it so I'm not out much either way, especially since it rings like silver and the weight is correct.

I am just wondering if anyone can identify if it is a well know contemporary counterfeit or just a piece of junk. Does it have any value?





So what do you think?

 

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Yea 2.00 for any half dollar is a great buy Let alone a seated in good shape!
Are you sure its a fake?
I guess I'd think something was up too if I found it in a "Junk" pile, did the dealer say anything?

 

I'm not one to properly tell you fake or not, but I'd have to say it is. And, out of curiosity, if it was "supposedely" fake, why did you get it?

 

It looks fake, but if why produce a counterfeit one made with silver and have it weigh correctly??? I think it's a good deal for a couple of bucks.

B

 

Also, wasn't the "cache" under the sidewalk in New Orleans mostly 1840-O and 1841-O quarters and halves? It was a pretty famous story down south for some time in the 30's. I think a construction company unearthed a chest full of old coins and the crowd 'PROCURED' the contents, LOL.

Ben

 

It has a very weak strike. I would say counterfeit. Some contemporary counterfeits are worth almost as much as authentic ones.

Charlie

 

Never mind, I've answered my own question! It has silver!

 

The exact quote from the dealer was "I don't know if that is genuine, and I want to be certain that you understand that I am selling it as a fake." So the dealer was up front about his suspicions and I found it intriguing and cheap, so I picked it up. The ring is right and the weight is right so I think it is silver and if it is it's intrinsic value is more than double my cost. There were a number of times when silver coins only had a tiny fraction of their face value in silver and so it was very profitable to make fakes out of the proper metallic composition.

 

It's also double struck on the obverse.

 

If it is fake, it sounds like it's likely a contemporary one. Still, it's interesting, and for $2 I'd buy that, fake or not.

 

I agree, I've been talking with someone who bought a (properly labeled) fake seated quarter from me last year and he said it is an obvious cast copy and the doubling is from when the cast was made the original slipped inside the mold and created the doubling. He said that the reverse appears to have been the upright side when the coin was made because of some bubbling that he saw. He seemed to think that it is a contemporary copy and not a recent Asian fake. Interesting stuff for sure.

 

Well I just sold the fake to the gentleman I mentioned above for $30, one of my most profitable one week turnarounds! It actually sold for more than a genuine coin in that condition would have sold for, lol.

here is the text of some of our correspondence about this coin:

I offered the coin to him for $30 and he accepted my offer. I guess thattoday's lesson is that everything has value to someone and it's all about connecting the stuff I have with the people who need that stuff! Pluss I learned a boatload of stuff about 19th century counterfeiting, it was quite a rewarding coin to have purchased and learned about!

 

That's kinda what I thought too, although I obviously don't have your experience in viewing coins.

I got the impression that he has quite a collection of counterfeits both foreign and domestic as well as a wealth of knowledge on the subject. I found our correspondence very informative!

 

That's a great story! It seems like everything old and scarce has value as long as it is authentic, even if it is an authentic counterfeit. I've noticed that in the area of Hard Times Tokens and Civil War Tokens that contemporary counterfeits also frequently have significant value.

 

What an awesome informative post. Thank CT. A+ on this one!

 

That guy knows his stuff, very informative.

 

Cool coin! I was thinking of buying a conterfeit walker for $8 at the local dealer. Looks dark and gray and laminated lol

 

Hi CHRIS,
Good story good job, maybe you can find that Henning counterfeit I have been looking for in that junk bin :rolling: I HOPE I HOPE I HOPE.