Every now and then we come across a coin lot description that impresses us. The last one occurred on March 7, 2013, in a post about lot descriptions by Paige Auction. Today we’re recognizing Star Coin and Currency for its description of what looks to us like a suspicious coin.
The 1773 Half Penny was made of copper, minted on orders from the British Crown to serve as coinage for the colony of Virginia. You can find examples such as the one up for bid at Star Coin and Currency for about $50.
Auctioneer Jim Haver writes this description: “QUESTIONABLE AUTHENTICITY FULL RETURN PRIVILEGE.”
So is the coin a counterfeit, replica or authentic?
Take a closer look at the obverse, depicted below.
Notice the pock marks on the face of King George III. Those are typically caused by two phenomenon: counterfeit dies or soil. As such, this coin could be a fake … or could have been found by a metal detector. That’s why Jim calls it “Questionable Authenticity.”
It’s a hard call, but we think this is authentic with severe environmental damage.
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