Counterfeit Detection: 1833 Half Cent

The Classic Head Half Cent series began in 1809 and spanned more than a quarter century, but it includes only 11 dates for its business strikes, mostly 1825 and later. The 1833 is one of the easier coins in the series to acquire, but examples still cost at least several hundred dollars in low Mint State.

All the business strikes of 1833 Half Cents were struck from single pair of dies, which makes the challenge of authenticating them a little easier. NGC recently received a purported example of this coin.

The coin has poor details throughout, which is particularly apparent in the faintness of the word LIBERTY adorning the allegorical woman’s hair. Also notice how narrower the rim is and how much larger the stars are on this coin when compared to a genuine example.

The red flags continue with the date, which is bulbous and misshapen. Look at how thin the stroke gets in certain places on the 8 on the genuine example, a nuance that is not repeated on the counterfeit. The end of the curl near the top of each 3 shows a similar issue.

The coin’s porous surfaces point to it being cast, as does a large missing chunk of the N in CENT on the reverse. This appears to be a casting void, a place where gas became trapped during the counterfeiting process, preventing liquid metal from filling the area. The coin also has been artificially worn, to cover up the fact that it was made recently.

The Classic Head Half Cent series is a wonderful example of early US coinage, but no one wants to own a fake one. Remember, NGC backs its determinations of authenticity and grade with the NGC Guarantee.

Did you know? NGC has created a comprehensive Counterfeit Detection resource to help collectors and dealers identify counterfeit and altered coins. Visit NGCcoin.com/counterfeit.