King George III? and a fired musket?

[MentalMetal314]

Hi folks, I went back to my favorite farm field and pull out these 2 items. I think the coin is either an 1805 or 06 King George half. Can anyone confirm? You can barely make out the crown in the photo. The other side is gone. I also pulled up what I believe to be a "fired" musket ball. This is only my 2nd musket ball so I'm not sure what a fired one looks like but this one is a little flatter than the other one I found so I'm thinking fired. Any help is always appreciated. Thank you!

 

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[TheCannonballGuy]

It does have the 'look" of a fired musketball or pistol-ball. Please get it weighed on a Jeweler's Scale, and tell us its weight in Grains. Then we can do the math to determine the lead ball's original diameter, and check for a match-up among known pistol-ball and musketball diameters. If there's no match-up, it isn't a firearms projectile.

 

[Frankyg]

I think it is a George 2nd or 3rd halfpenny, but it is not he English one. I think it's the Irish 'Hibernia' halfpenny. There should be a harp below the crown.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

I agree with Frankyg, it appears to be an Irish George III halfpence (halfpenny). The crown is the correct shape, and in the correct location... and the "bump" of the woman's head on the harp is visible at the lower left next to the crown. Additionally, some of the harp itself seems to be visible. Compare your coin with the one in the photo below.

I should mention, the Irish George III halfpence was widely counterfeited at that time. Your coin's heavily corroded condition makes telling whether it is a government-issued one or a counterfeit very nearly impossible.

Here's a webpage showing the Irish Halfpence counterfeits, with information about them.
http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/ColCoinText/CtfBrit.3.html
Unfortunately most of the photos there are dark. Click on the 500-dots-per-inch option to see them more clearly. Also, use the Back and Forward buttons to see other examples, including the genuine government-issued ones.

 

[MentalMetal314]

Thanks guys for the info. This is the 3rd King George from this farm. 1 from a previous post that was made into a button, the one I just posted and I have another that I'm assuming is a KG only because it matches the diameter and thickness of the other 2.

Regarding the musket ball, I don't have a scale but will try to get it weighed by the weekend and then I'll check back in.

Thanks again for the help.
MM314

 

[MentalMetal314]

TheCannonballGuy, I forgot to ask but do you think the date would be the same on my coin?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Probably not the same date, because large quantities of counterfeit Irish Halfpence coppers were imported into the US, and were in circulation. They were made of real copper, so although they were a bit underweight, people used them. Some of the underweight copper counterfeits have dates which do not match the genuine government-issued coins.

Small details show whether a King George III Irish Halfpence is a government-issued one or a counterfeit. When a coin's small details are gone, it is very difficult to authenticate either way.

I somehow forgot to include the link I mentioned in my previous post, to show some real KG III Irish Halfpence and some counterfeits. I've fixed that post now, but here's the link again. Remember, use the Back and Forward buttons at the bottom of that webpage to see other examples.
Counterfeit British Coppers

 

[Iron Patch]

I think it is a George 2nd or 3rd halfpenny, but it is not he English one. I think it's the Irish 'Hibernia' halfpenny. There should be a harp below the crown.

Yes, an Irish King George II or III Halfpenny (regal or counterfeit) is the most likely, but there are other possibilities too.

 

[MentalMetal314]

Thanks again guys I appreciate your time. I'm still amazed with what I'm finding at this farm. I never thought in a million years that I would find a King G. let alone 3 of them. Hopefully something silver or gold will show up. 😄

I'll check back in this weekend with the weight of the musket ball.

Thanks Again
MM314