Tools of the (Fake) Trade ... Colonials, Morgans, Bust, Seated, etc **big pics

[Fletcher]

I just picked up a box of these ... the seller thought that they might be old clay poker chips. I believe that they are blanks for electrotyping or for making counterfeit coins. They are old, fairly brittle clay and are exact copies of the coins in question. They include the same reeding as the originals but each blank is only an obverse or reverse (ie. the backs are rough clay).

 

Has anyone seen anything like these before, and if so, what do you know about them???

 

[Merovingian]

Wow...

 

[Old Pueblo]

Never seen that before...interesting.

 

 

OP

[jtryka]

Interesting that the back of the Morgan says "COPY" and it looks like there might be some lettering on the neck of Liberty on the bust coin as well. I would love to learn more about these.

[SkyMan]

Interesting group of "coins". (thumbs u

[bsshog40]

It would be my guess made for copies also. The mold coin details are too worn to be used for replicas.

[WoodenJefferson]

Question: And it's good to see you posting here again, are the copies the same diameter as the original coins?

[ldhair]

Really cool.

[Fletcher]

Question: And it's good to see you posting here again, are the copies the same diameter as the original coins?

 

Yes, exactly the same diameter ...

[WoodenJefferson]

Then my theory is, a real original coin was pressed into a soft soft clay or heated wax, then this plaster sort of material was poured into the negative impression, allowed to dry and removed to make the plaster cast copy...kinda like "Big Foot" prints.

[Fletcher]

That is what I thought ... I assume that they would then make an electrotype or cast a counterfeit from the blank.