HomeUS CoinsFrom the Dark Corner: An "Authenticated" Counterfeit 1836 Gobrecht Dollar

From the Dark Corner: An “Authenticated” Counterfeit 1836 Gobrecht Dollar

By Jack D. Young, Early American Coppers (EAC) ……
Another of the holed and Gobrecht dollar repaired fakes, the 1836 Gobrecht dollar is one of the most expensive “varieties” of the deceptive struck counterfeit series. It is also one of the most TPG-authenticated of the group, with eight certified examples documented and several having sold in major auction venues (as well as other internet selling sites).

Per usual, I will start with a certified “Dark Corner” example AND the holed genuine example.

From the Dark Corner: An
Documented TPG Certified Example (certified PR15)
From the Dark Corner: An
Genuine Holed Source Example

The damage was minor for this one, and a good choice; just minor re-engraving of details was required (“OF”) but still enough to help attribute these.

In my detailed research article on these, I included the “attribution marks” as follows, including the tooling at the top and back of “OF”:

From the Dark Corner: An
Left: Probable Repaired Source Coin. Center: Genuine Example. Right: Struck Counterfeit.

Images below show the progression into one of the struck counterfeits (repaired source middle):

From the Dark Corner: An
The Progression from Genuine to fake 1836 “Gobrecht”.

The counterfeit 1836 Gobrecht Dollar on the right is the last one known/documented. It actually shipped through China via the Netherlands by a now-unlisted seller. It is the eighth known “certified genuine” example, but we continue to be on the lookout for others.

The clones match so well that the indication of “repairs” was noted on the label of this counterfeit! Label states: “1836 $ PROOF J-30 RESTRIKE REPAIRED – CLEANED PF 20 DETAILS”

Additional detailed information on these and the research involved can be found in my CoinWeek article linked above. Also, reference my Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) article in the Gobrecht Journal #137, 2021.

And again, should you see another one “out there”, report it! There are several unaccounted for.

Best as always,

–Jack


MORE Articles on Counterfeit Coins by Jack D. Young

 

Jack D. Young
Jack D. Young
An engineer by training, Jack D. Young is a researcher and author on the subject of the recent wave of deceptive struck counterfeits. He is the founder of the "Dark Side" Counterfeits and Fakes Facebook watch group, a participating member of Early American Coppers (EAC) since 2002, the Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC), C4, the NLG, the ANA, and the ANS. Jack has consulted on the subject of counterfeits and their effect on the Hobby with staffers of the United States Senate Finance Committee, a senior member of the U.S. Secret Service (both with the ACTF as an Expert Network volunteer), and agents of both CBP and the Department of the Treasury. His work has appeared in various club journals, including The Numismatist, and he was acknowledged for his research by Q. David Bowers in the latter's The Copper Coins of Vermont (2018). The ACTF awarded Jack Young the Alan Kreuzer Award in 2019 and the PNG presented him with the Sol Kaplan Award in 2022. He started collecting as a youth, filling a Lincoln penny board with his grandmother, and continues to collect low-grade early large cents by date and some varieties.

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