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1818 Struck Counterfeit from Handmade Dies. 14

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:1,000.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1818 Struck Counterfeit from Handmade Dies. 14
1818 Struck Counterfeit from Handmade Dies. 14 Stars with Continuous Wreath Reverse Design. Double Struck Obverse. About Good-3. Slightly sharper on the reverse but this piece has fine hairline scratches on the obverse and several dull dents on the reverse, the largest of these down from just below the E in CENT. The date and reverse legends are complete and clear except for the second S in STATES, which was obliterated by the strong reverse dent. Glossy dark chocolate brown with corrosion-free surfaces. Struck from crudely-made dies that approximate the normal Matron Head design, but there are 14 stars on the obverse, the portrait of Ms Liberty is crude and cut in very shallow relief, the wreath is continuous, and there is no fraction at the bottom of the reverse. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA begins at 1:00. That places the U in UNITED is where one would expect to find the O in OF on a "normal" large cent. The obverse was double struck with a rotation of about 2 millimeters between the two strikes leaving an extra 8 clearly visible to the right of the "normal" date. The reverse is not double struck and is much sharper than the obverse, as usual, as the obverse is bulged outward on the few examples known. The dies are aligned head-to-foot, similar to the regular Federal cents, with only a slightly clockwise rotation. A strong die crack extends from the rim into the field between stars 11 & 12, and this crack has been observed on the three examples known to this cataloger (although it is strongest on this piece). It should also be noted that all three of the examples studied by this cataloger have a double struck obverse, but all show a different rotation or shift between impressions (so we know the die itself was not doubled). None of the known examples shows evidence of being double struck on the reverse. Comparable to the famous 1848 Small Date struck counterfeit cents, although far fewer of these 1818 cents are known (three known). Weight 171.1 grains, which makes this example the heaviest of the known examples. Diameter is 29.0 millimeters (See page 360 of the November 2000 issue of Penny-Wise for a discussion of this interesting and extremely rare oddity.) The variety has been known for well over 100 years. The first appearance was of a low grade example offered in the Maris collection auctioned by H. P. Smith 6/21/1886:284, and a more recent offering of a nicer example was made in a Stack's sale 1/20/2004:2112. This example was discovered in a junk box circa 1988 and was the subject of an article in Coin World written by Michael Hodder (article included in the Naftzger envelope, and this coin is plated in the article). Estimated Value $2,000-UP. Ex A junk box circa 1988-Jim Skalbe-Stack's auction (not sold)-Jim Skalbe 11/88-Tony Terranova 12/88. Our item number 137476 "