A buddy of mine found this in his dad's belongings a couple years ago and we are wonder if it's some kind of commemorative token or some denomination of currency. I don't think it's a coin cause I've never heard of it but I certainty don't know it all. Can anyone clear up what it was made for and how old it could be, i don't think ita too old at all but my buddy thinks otherwise. Thanks everyone.
... except for its educational value. You get such a piece, and start wondering what it is. And then, you learn about the original. Christian
A real Fugio Cent is made of copper and is worth thousands, if not tens of thousands, of dollars. This one is a fake. Chris
Thanks guys, I'd never heard of it, but now we've got many more questions , questions regarding Mike's dad's ethics lol. Had I know about the old coin and found this thing I bet of be pretty excited but it totally looks pretty modern, no metal in use other than gold at the time it would keep a shiny luster like that 244 years later, it's really light weight like tin or aluminum and the tarnish is obviously painted on or intentional. Thanks again
What you have is a modern copy of a “Continental Dollar.” I bought one at Woolworths for $1 in the 1970s. It is a cast copy of a piece that could be quite valuable if it were genuine, but most of them are worthless copies. Better copies that this have fooled experienced collectors and dealers. The Continental Dollar was once thought to be money that was a semi-official issue of the Continental Congress during the American Revolutionary War. In the past couple of years, researchers have found that it was actually a commemorative medal that noted the American – French victory in the American Revolution. This has placed the value of genuine pieces in limbo, in my opinion, but I could be wrong. It’s still a good item, but perhaps not as good as once thought.
@Walter Marx ,I find the Fugio Copper's history very interesting. When I first started to research U.S. one cent historical designs, I found out that the "Flowing Hair Cent" was (officially) the first one-cent minted (1793). But I was confused because the Fugio was minted earlier and so I wondered why it wasn't considered to be the first cent. Upon further research, I realized that the word "Cent" is no where to be found on the coin. Its production was subcontracted out and there was embezzlement involved. If you have time, the Numismatist magazine had an interesting article about it last year. You'll also learn what "Mind Your Business" on the obverse of the coin was meant to convey and the link to Benjamin Franklin. Those are the words beneath the Sun Dial, but not quite legible in the replica that you have.
This is not a copy of the Fugio Cent. This is a copy of the "Continental Dollar," which has since been called a small medal. Here is a genuine Fugio Cent, which is a differnet piece.
