Counterfeit! ?

[sheep.dog]

Out digging yesterday and I found what i believe to be a counterfeit 1820 large cent. It was found with a handful of other 19th century relics including a real 1836 large cent.

When i saw that silver color I instantly forgot that the tone and VDI were way too low for silver and got really excited. Definitely not silver or lead, some sort of pot metal?

It matches a large cent in size. There is a seam along the rim.
Weight: 94.6 grains
Air test VDI:
ML Equinox: 15-16
XP Deus : 75

 

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[ToddsPoint]

It's amazing that they were counterfeiting way back then. I wonder how easy it was to pass fake coins back then? Gary

 

[Carolina Tom]

That’s odd, it would seem that if you were going to counterfeit, one cent would not be the denomination of choice. I usually see fake gold coins, but that “One Cent” on the back seems to negate that as an option.

Cool find.

 

[Hawks88]

Very interesting find.

 

[Rookster]

I've read where a lot of counterfeiting went on back then. It was probably easy to do. But that's a cool find.

 

[Trezurehunter]

Thats a very nice find. To think that someone took the time to try and counterfeit a Large Cent will make for a nice conversation piece.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Interesting find!

 

[b3y0nd3r]

It could be painted with a lead based paint. if you don't care about the condition, take some paint thinner and rub it in a small area.

It could also be pewter which was cheaper than copper, but usually pewter decays much more than what I am seeing. In those days, there was a huge demand for copper, so it may have well been counterfeited.

 

[RTR]

Seems like a lot of effort to counterfeit such a coin with so little buying power
https://www.officialdata.org/1820-dollars-in-2018?amount=1

 

[jeff of pa]

nice

My Guess Just Environmental Damage due To fire, Ground Content, lime or ?

 

[sheep.dog]

nice

My Guess Just Environmental Damage due To fire, Ground Content, lime or ?

This photo shows thee two coins found on Saturday. One is the "counterfeit" and the other is a real 1836 Large cent. it was found maybe 10-15 feet away.

 

[xr7ator]

How much do you think it cost to counterfeit a one cent coin? How much time would be involved? Do you think someone did it just for fun and really didn't need to make any profit?

 

[Megalodon]

Beside the color, which could be explained by factors other than counterfeiting, is there any other evidence the coin is a counterfeit?

 

[b3y0nd3r]

Beside the color, which could be explained by factors other than counterfeiting, is there any other evidence the coin is a counterfeit?

weight and dimensions.

 

[sheep.dog]

Beside the color, which could be explained by factors other than counterfeiting, is there any other evidence the coin is a counterfeit?

It weight 50 grains less than a true large cent. Its not copper. a large cent usually rings in around 29 VDI on my equinox, this one rings in around 15.

 

[BLK HOLE]

Very cool find!

 

[boogeyman]

That’s odd, it would seem that if you were going to counterfeit, one cent would not be the denomination of choice. I usually see fake gold coins, but that “One Cent” on the back seems to negate that as an option.

Cool find.

Not really all that odd if you think about it. A penny was bought more back then. And if you think about it how many would really scrutinize a penny that closely? Really don't understand counterfeiters these days. If I was a crook, it'd make more sense to counterfeit $5 & $10s. Might take more work to pass, but how many people even look at a five or ten dollar bill?

 

[jeff of pa]

in 1820 it Probably would have cost 1 Penny to make 10 Large Cents.

Colonial coins were Being Counterfeited on a Large scale or at least 50 years before That.
was a simple thing to get away with because there were so many varieties out there.
So I can't rule it out.

Unfortunately if you sent it away, it would most likely come back untested in a Body Bag as too environmentally damaged to Confirm things. I personally am still Not convinced it's a counterfeit.
But Looking at Pictures isn't like holding & inspecting.

Still Nice finds either way.
I love finding Large & Half cents

 

[jeff of pa]

Not really all that odd if you think about it. A penny was bought more back then. And if you think about it how many would really scrutinize a penny that closely? Really don't understand counterfeiters these days. If I was a crook, it'd make more sense to counterfeit $5 & $10s. Might take more work to pass, but how many people even look at a five or ten dollar bill?

Correct ! There are Most likely 10's of Thousands of Counterfeit $1.00 Bills out there.
Only Problem, They are Done to Perfection, & A store Clerk will Never Pull a Counterfeit Checker Pen
out to test the paper.

I'm not even sure Banks Check 1's

 

[sheep.dog]

in 1820 it Probably would have cost 1 Penny to make 10 Large Cents.
I personally am still Not convinced it's a counterfeit.

Being only 2/3 the mass of an LC and pretty clearly made of a different material, I can't figure out what else it might be. Childs play money?