Confederate Cent

[levis_dad]

Howdy folks. A friend of mine asked me to post this coin on TNet to see if it is possibly a genuine Confederate cent. He says he found it in his grandmother's bathroom on a shelf up high, and that his grandfather probably put it there for safe keeping. His grandfather was born in the 1880's (not sure exactly what year), so I figured it was a good possibility that maybe the grandfather's grandfather gave it to him.

What do you guys and gals think?

 

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[MichiganRob]

That's a pretty rare coin you got there, not many were minted. Yours looks in excellent shape, probably worth $$$$$$$

Read about it here...
http://www.coinfacts.com/confederate_coins/1861_confederate_cent.htm

HH
MichiganRob

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

That's a pretty rare coin you got there, not many were minted. Yours looks in excellent shape, probably worth $$$$$$$

Read about it here...
http://www.coinfacts.com/confederate_coins/1861_confederate_cent.htm

HH
MichiganRob

If I read this link correctly, only 12 coins were originally struck. Then on about 1873, 55 more were struck and the dies broken. Later 5,000 were struck in bronze from the broken dies. I dont know if you have a coin from the original die or not. Modern copies can be purchased from eBay at nominal cost. http://cgi.ebay.com/Confederate-Sta...oryZ3458QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Mintmark: none (all of these were made privately)

Varieties:
Originals:
Copper-Nickel - 12 struck
Restrikes from unbroken dies:
Copper - 55 struck
Gold - 7 struck
Silver - 12 struck
Restrikes from broken dies:
Aluminum - 50 struck
Bronze - 5,000 struck
Gold - 3 struck
Goldine - 5,000 struck
Lead - 50 struck
Nickel Silver - 50 struck
Platinum - 3 struck
Red Fiber - 50 struck
Silver - 5,000 struck
Tin - 50 struck
Zinc - 50 struck

 

[levis_dad]

I looked at the coins on ebay. Those are all stamped with "COPY" on the reverse. This coin is not stamped in that way. I don't know when the reproduction coins were made, but this one was found in the mid 70's and had been where it was found for who knows how long.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I looked at the coins on ebay. Those are all stamped with "COPY" on the reverse. This coin is not stamped in that way. I don't know when the reproduction coins were made, but this one was found in the mid 70's and had been where it was found for who knows how long.

I dont know. The law that calls for the "copy" stamp has not always been in effect. I cant remember the date of the Hobby Protection Laws. This was brought up on TN and you might search for it. Older reproductions did not need the word "COPY." I hope you have a coin from the original die. It would be worth bucks, but i just dont know.

 

[MichiganRob]

Here's my comparison collage. The coin on the bottom is yours, the one in the middle is the ebay repo and the coin on top is the coinfacts restrike. When I overlayed your coin with the ebay coin they matched precisely. However your coin and the coinfacts coin do not match. Look at the date 1861...notice that your coin and the ebay repro are the same font but the coinfact coin has a slightly different font and also the date on the coinfact coin is more circular unlike the other two.

I am not an expert and I offer no conclusion as to it's authenticity.

HH
MichiganRob

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

The Hobby Protection Act was approved on November 29, 1973. Its possible that if you found it in the 70's, it could be older and would not need by law to have the word "COPY" on it. I have many replicas of other coinage without the word COPY. http://collectors.org/Library/Hobby_Protection_Act.asp

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Here's my comparison collage. The coin on the bottom is yours, the one in the middle is the ebay repo and the coin on top is the coinfacts restrike. When I overlayed your coin with the ebay coin they matched precisely. However your coin and the coinfacts coin do not match. Look at the date 1861...notice that your coin and the ebay repro are the same font but the coinfact coin has a slightly different font and also the date on the coinfact coin is more circular unlike the other two.

I am not an expert and I offer no conclusion as to it's authenticity.

HH
MichiganRob

One has a dot after AMERICA.

 

[Kiros32]

It also appears that on the Coinfacts coin, the "dots" on the headband are inset. The "dots" on your coin appear to be raised.

 

[levis_dad]

Ok. Chances are that the coin is a replica. Now the question is: what kind of value does it have? $3 to $5 ?
I'm sorry if I keep dragging this out, but I promised my friend that I would try to get an approximate value.

 

[Vrent]

look for a coin show or dealer in your area and have them take a look see.....it appears from the images that it may be a copy, to find a value search completed auctions of ebay. that will give you a good idea.
ebay completed auction between 10$ to 60$
HH vrent

 

[Monk]

This coin reminds me of a coin I came by in the early 1950s that looked just like this coin, only it was the size of a gold dollar and was made the best I cold tell of gold. The front of the coin looked just like this coin and the back looked as the back on this one except it had a 1 in the center of the back, and didn't say dollar on it. as the one pictured in the coin book, but looked the same in every other way. I thought it not the real thing and not sure what I had traded it off for something. I was around 16 yr's old at the time. So maybe someone can tell me what I had? Likely some kind of restrike.

 

[Rob66]

looks real to me. Only 12 were minted that has to be worth serious$$$$$$$$$$$$.

 

[La Beep]

I guess the question is is it copper/nickel or just copper it does not appear to be one of the broken die restrikes.

Quote:
Lovett struck twelve coins with his dies, employing the then current Union alloy of copper and nickel used on Indian cents

Quote:
A pamphlet was produced which stated that seven gold, twelve silver, and 55 copper restrikes had been made, with the dies breaking on the 55th copper strike. No copper nickel restrikes were made to preserve the integrity of the original dozen coined by Lovett

Quote:
In 1961 Robert Bashlow, a New York entrepreneur, took the rusted and broken dies and had copies made by the transfer process. These pieces have irregular surfaces, and are quite unlike the 1874 restrikes.
And:
The surfaces show a few minute spots, and there is one small low area in the field below ES of STATES

 

[krv1962]

hmmm...

How many varieties were there?
Yours shows an "arrow style" number 1 (top point angled downward) on the Reverse side of coin
while the Coinfacts coin has a "right angle" number 1 (at top)

There are a few differences from the coinfacts coin, but not knowing the number of varieties actually minted makes it difficult to determine whether it is a copy or not...let alone the value.

 

[krv1962]

found this "copy" which resembles your coin. (minus the word "copy" on reverse)
Details appears same though.

http://www.ioffer.com/i/1861-Confederate-Cent-BU-Copy--9623885

 

[La Beep]

hmmm...

How many varieties were there?
Yours shows an "arrow style" number 1 (top point angled downward) on the Reverse side of coin
while the Coinfacts coin has a "right angle" number 1 (at top)

There are a few differences from the coinfacts coin, but not knowing the number of varieties actually minted makes it difficult to determine whether it is a copy or not...let alone the value.

3
1861 12 struck - copper/nickel
1864 55 restikes die broke - copper
1961 50 restrikes with repaired dies - Zinc

Now then there is copies also. I hink that the coinfacts coin is from the 1961 restrike.

 

[krv1962]

sorry...

I actually meant, not sure how many varieties (design changes) such as the number "1" on reverse, etc.

 

[La Beep]

sorry...

I actually meant, not sure how many varieties (design changes) such as the number "1" on reverse, etc.

If the coinfacts is from the 1961 repaired broken die the dots and the number 1 could in fact be repairs to the die. I was not there so I am not sure, just applying some common sense here. But I maybe way off.

 

[La Beep]

I am wishing it is an original however my heart says it a copy. If I remember right you could buy copies at just about all southern battlefields gift shops. But my memory like my guessing maybe wrong.