By Jack D. Young
Before discussing those suspicious cents, a quick definition of an electrotype–a copy of a coin formed by depositing metal onto a mold using electricity. Electrotypes are not considered genuine coins, but rather reproductions. When offered in auctions, they are fake coins.
Here is an example as an acknowledged electrotype sold in a Goldberg 2006 auction:
Images courtesy Goldberg Auctioneers
In the time span from this auction until August 2017, there was another acknowledged example reportedly sold in two different eBay auctions in 2016:
On Aug 2, 2017 another example with many of the matching obverse marks sold on eBay as an electrotype:
eBay Aug 2, 2017 Listed Electrotype Example
During the same time frame as this listing another one was running with matching marks but listed as genuine:
eBay Aug 2017 Listed Genuine Example
eBay Aug 2, 2017 Listed Electrotype Example eBay Aug 2017 Listed Genuine Example
Comparison of the latest eBay example listed as genuine to the documented electrotype example from the Goldberg’s 2006 auction shows the same “circulation” marks:
eBay Aug 2017 Listed Genuine Example Goldberg 2006 Auction Example- Electrotype
Comparison of the reverse images between these two yields similar results:
Both examples show the same marks and what appear as casting “bubble”/ defects on the surface, “casting” serious doubt that listed example is a genuine 1804 large cent. I sent the seller a number of messages, but I was too late to have him stop the auction.
eBay messages with the author
At the same time another early copper collector (unidentified) was also asking questions:
The weight listed as “11.7 grams” is a red flag as the standard was 10.89! Electrotypes regularly weigh more than a genuine example as a result of the base metal used. So it sold:
Sold as genuine on eBay 2017
The main difference between this and the Goldberg example is this one sold for a whole lot more. And an edge view would have given it away; an in-hand inspection would have been interesting to see if it was oriented correctly to a genuine 1804 large cent.
A genuine example has the reverse rotated as noted in the lot description of the “finest known” example in a past Stack’s Bowers auction:
“This die state is traditionally known as ‘Sheldon-266c,’ with substantial cuds over RTY of LIBERTY and MERIC of AMERICA, the last of the three main die states. Clash marks are seen at Liberty’s profile and throat, as well as under her hair bow. Breen describes this state as his state IV. Genuine specimens show the distinctive die rotation typical of this variety, with the reverse aligned roughly 45 degrees counterclockwise of proper coin turn.”
The Stack’s example showing the rotation of all genuine examples (and the die breaks of the late state):
1804 S-266 Cent from the Pogue Collection. Image courtesy Stack’s Bowers.
So, now the twist! I had the opportunity to purchase an example at auction this month. That one showed a provenance back to 1987 with a couple of giants in early copper previously owning it.
Reviewing the images, I confirmed it matched the others with the many common “sister marks” and it became a “must have,” not just for my collection but for the research and history of this one.
So, I won the auction and having it in-hand allowed for more observations to document these!
Author’s example and some of the eye-catching common marks!
I had the opportunity to weigh my example; it weighed 12.10 grams versus the mint standard of 10.89 grams.
I also was able to take good images of the edge and evaluate the die rotation of this “copy” versus a genuine one as images earlier with the genuine example:
Proper Die Rotation for this electrotype
Electrotype Edge of this one
And the final “twist”–back to the example sold as genuine in 2017; I decided to ask the seller about it now. He apparently mistook me for the buyer and sent this response.
Well, maybe justice, as they say Karma is a “b**ch.”
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