Thought I would provide an update on one of the best finds I made in 2017. Some of you may recall me posting about a counterfeit 1829 Bust dime that I found at a colonial home site earlier last year. It was the second signal I dug at the site and at the time I knew it was an unusual find but I didn't really realize just how rare it really was. I began hitting the internet to find any information on early counterfeit coinage and soon discovered that the bust dimes were considered to be quite rare. Seems most of the fakes in circulation at the time were large cents, half dollars and gold coins. Very few seemed to have bothered faking the tiny dime. I also found out that a numismatist named Winston Zach, who had written a book on bust dime varieties, was getting ready to write another book about the counterfeit bust dimes. I found an email for him and sent a message about what I had found. After a few emails back and forth he offered to perform an XRF analysis on the coin to determine the metallurgical content of the coin and whether it was a "genuine fake". He also offered to write a certificate of authenticity and lab photograph the coin for me free of charge if he could include the data in his book. I went ahead and sent the coin to him in California and for the next few weeks he kept me updated on what was happening. After he was done he sent the coin back with the certificates and analysis and emailed me the following information:
"Based on the following information I found your 1829 dime to be a 'cast' counterfeit:
1) XRF analysis (see attached) shows primarily tin, with minor amounts of lead and arsenic, and traces of copper (and probably other metals);
2) when tapped on the edge the piece does not 'ring' or 'resonate' like a struck coin does;
3) this piece appears to match, to the best of my ability, variety JR-11 - this match to an authentic coin cannot be duplicated without using mint-dies which were not often lost or removed from the Mint."
It turns out that my dime was made of tin, was cast using genuine US mint dies and is now one of only twenty four counterfeit bust dimes known at this time. It is only one of four from the 1820's and all the rest are dated in the 1830's including six dimes dated 1838. (Bust dime production ended in 1837)
Dig it all as you just never know what that low tone signal may turn out to be. Can't wait to see what we all find in 2018!
"Based on the following information I found your 1829 dime to be a 'cast' counterfeit:
1) XRF analysis (see attached) shows primarily tin, with minor amounts of lead and arsenic, and traces of copper (and probably other metals);
2) when tapped on the edge the piece does not 'ring' or 'resonate' like a struck coin does;
3) this piece appears to match, to the best of my ability, variety JR-11 - this match to an authentic coin cannot be duplicated without using mint-dies which were not often lost or removed from the Mint."
It turns out that my dime was made of tin, was cast using genuine US mint dies and is now one of only twenty four counterfeit bust dimes known at this time. It is only one of four from the 1820's and all the rest are dated in the 1830's including six dimes dated 1838. (Bust dime production ended in 1837)
Dig it all as you just never know what that low tone signal may turn out to be. Can't wait to see what we all find in 2018!
