From the Brink II: An Update on Struck Counterfeits & Damaged Source Coins – 1807 Early Dime & Friends

By Jack D. Young, Early American Coppers (EAC) for CoinWeek …..
 

This article is intended as a continuation of the information reported in my previous CoinWeek article in regards to discoveries of damaged and repaired legitimate coins used to create the dies to strike this latest wave of struck “clones”/counterfeits. As previously stated, the research continues to be a collaborative effort with many participating numismatic clubs, Facebook “Dark Side” members and friends participating.

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1807 JR-1 Dime

I continue to report on the status of the research efforts to find additional deceptive struck counterfeits; as part of this effort an equal challenge has been discovering the probable “source” examples used to develop dies to strike these fakes. Refocusing the research effort on damaged genuine coins (sold on the internet venues and major coin auctions) first is producing additional possible fake varieties. This revised search methodology has redefined my search parameters for both investigating possible source coins and also additional struck fakes; to that end this article starts with a dramatic example of this slightly backwards approach going forward, a coin that is certainly the most damaged example of the group seen to date.

In this process, another piece of information helpful in this effort is a developed “time-line”; I use this while reviewing the available subject images to help determine which came first in a logical progression in an effort to sort out the differences and duplicates among a group of possibly different/ unique examples.

The resulting time-line for the researched 1807 dimes is as follows:

1. July 3, 2013 – Holed example sold on the internet
2. December 9, 2015 – Certified “PLUGGED” example sold on the internet
3. 1st example certified as “QUESTIONABLE AUTHENTICITY”
4. 2nd example certified as “QUESTIONABLE AUTHENTICITY”; this example was included in a group with several bad early coppers from the fall of 2015 (images shared on the EAC website)
5. May 20, 2016 – Raw example sold on the internet
6. December 15, 2016 – Raw example sold on the internet

Images exist for five of the six in the time-line; no images have currently been found for the first certified “QUESTIONABLE AUTHENTICITY” (“body-bagged”, not encapsulated) example (#3). Comparative available images are as follows:

Damaged example (#1, above); Certed “PLUGGED” example (#2); Raw example (#4)

Reverses of damaged example (#1, above); Certed “PLUGGED” example (#2); Raw example (#4)

Obvious differences circled in red between “QUESTIONABLE” example #4 and a known genuine one; the indicated differences to the genuin coin are common to all of the documented suspect examples in this review (indicative of the repairs required to the damaged source coin).

The next set of images compares what appears to be the same example:

Certed “PLUGGED” example (#2); Raw internet example (#5)

Reverses of certed “PLUGGED” example (#2); Raw internet example (#5)

Note the common marks and toning between these; as we have not seen counterfeits with duplicate original toning as the source coins I suggest these are likely the same coin/ example.

The next pair:

Raw internet example (#6); Raw example (#4)

Raw internet example (#6) Raw example (#4)

Note the similar appearance and toning between these, but different from the previous pair (#2 and #5).

While comparing all known examples it is difficult to be positive which are definitely genuine and which are fakes (“live or Memorex” when dealing with images only, but there are enough common and uncommon marks on these examples to be confident there is at least one counterfeit within the group!

Certed “PLUGGED” (#2); Raw example (#4)

Raw internet example (#5); Raw example (#4)

And now a preview of things to come on this topic! All pairs include repaired genuine coins and examples sold by the same group of apparently connected internet sellers. It appears the counterfeiters were going after an early American “coin” type set…

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Thanks again to all who continue to help with this project, especially my “Dark Side” friends!

Best regards,

—Jack

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