IS MY 1776 CONTINENTAL CURENCY REAL OR FAKE??? PIC ATTACHED

[Sam31-migration]

About 7-8 years ago, I got a gift from a a close very old person that advised me that this coin was a hand down from her great grandfather to her mother, and from her mother to her which came down to me. I am not related but with all that I have done through the years she gifted the coin to me. She asked me to use it only when truly need it. Me and the wife are starting a family and truly need the money. I wanted to send it somewhere to get it appraised and authenticated, but with the horror stories that I have heard, I became scared to and skeptical. I have attached some pictures please advise..

 

P.S. how do I upload photos here? I believe I did it correctly..

 

Sam

[wdrob]

Well if it is that is one heck of a coin to have.

 

Here are some links to the coin explorer on that coin:

 

Coin Explorer Link 1

 

Coin Explorer Link 2

 

A Heritage Auction Link to one that is VF25.

 

They do not list any details on that coin such as weight, diameter, etc.. so you will have to wait until one of the experts in that area, there are many on this board, that can give you greater details.

 

I hope for you and your Wife that it is genuine. That would really help anyone out.

 

 

Do Not Try To Clean It!!!

 

That will only reduce it's appeal and value.

 

 

[MarkFeld]

Welcome to the forum.

 

Unfortunately, I doubt that your coin is authentic. I believe that genuine ones typically weigh between approximately 15 and 18 1/2 grams. So, as a starting point, see if you can determine the weight of yours.

[Coindude]

It looks like a cast copy to me.

[brg5658]

Based on those images (and on the story -- sorry), my vote goes for "fake".

 

 

[johnny9434]

welcome to the forums to start. im with the above as well, it looks like a fake to me as well

[coinman_23885]

It looks like a cast counterfeit to me.

[BillJones]

It is a cast copy, unfortunately.

 

I bought one of these at the Boston Woolworths for $1 in the early 1980s.

 

The vast majority of the Continental dollars that people have are copies that have been made through the years.

[Red Llama]

I hate to say something so for sure over pics but agree with everybody-cast.

 

Not to seem like the uber pessimist but when it comes to raw colonial coins....they are fake. Always. 99.999999999999999999999999% of time.

 

Personally do not like them odds.

[BillJones]

Not to seem like the uber pessimist but when it comes to raw colonial coins....they are fake. Always. 99.999999999999999999999999% of time.

 

I'm sorry but I cannot agree with this statement about ALL raw colonial coins that are offered. If you had said that 99.99% of the raw Continental Dollars that you had seen offered were counterfeit, I would say that there is a lot of truth in that statement.

 

As for raw colonial (actually colonial and post-colonial) coins, I have seen a very limited number of those pieces that were modern copies. Perhaps the most common examples were the Massachusetts cents and half cents that were made many years ago, but those pieces were usually "too nice" fool too many people. Now if someone were to make them look circulated, that's another matter.

 

There are some contemporary counterfeit colonial coins that crop up, like the Machin's Mills material, but is a different issue. Those are collectable pieces in their own right.

 

[Red Llama]

I guess we disagree on like the amount of .999 but you have to admit that especially recently colonial coins (Mass. Pine Shillings are more common than Mercury dimes if you believe the web. Joking but still) are all over the place and I'm just saying that I'd avoid a raw one at all cost.