1773 georgeivs III coin

[Guest matt whaley]

about 5 years ago i found this coin on my farm in queenstown maryland. On the front of it, it has the image of a mans face with a ponytail and the writing georgivs III rex on it. On the back it has a image of a person sitting with a spear in one hand and holding something in the other and says britian nia on it. The date 1773 is under this person. i think it is a half penny but not sure. does this coin have any value at all. it is kind of worn but readable thanks for your help

[Sylvester 15]

The date 1773 is under this person. i think it is a half penny but not sure. does this coin have any value at all. it is kind of worn but readable thanks for your help

It's either a halfpenny or a farthing.

What's the diameter of the piece?

[Emperor Oli 0]

We'd also need a picture to value it as "kind of worn" ain't a grade here in Blighty

[Chris Perkins 223]

I'm normally ok, with 'kind of worn'. I find it usually indicates a grade somewhere below fine. I expect it'll turn out to be a halfpenny, as lots of halfpennies ended up in British American colonies at that time.

Some were even forged there.

[Emperor Oli 0]

Some were even forged there.

This could be one!

[william 0]

You never know...

I have a few forgeries, does anyone else?

[Emperor Oli 0]

I may be wrong but isn't it illegal to be in possession of forged coins?

[mint_mark 3]

I may be wrong but isn't it illegal to be in possession of forged coins?

Not sure, but I think posession used to be.

These days the offence is trying to knowingly "pass off" a forged coin as genuine. If you accidentally spend a forged coin and it is spotted then you haven't comitted an offence, but you still have to pay with real money.

To avoid the situation you have to refuse a forged coin when it is offered to you... you can't take it back afterwards because you can't prove who gave you which coins.

Hmm, I think that's the situation.... should go back to Coin Yearbook and check.

[mint_mark 3]

OK, I just checked and it looks like you are right Oli... it clearly says possession of a forged coin is an offence.

Hmmmm, so where does that leave us then?

[Emperor Oli 0]

Donation to a museum or...............destuction?

[Sylvester 15]

Donation to a museum or...............destuction?

So what about those that actually collect forged coins? (i know some people do... luckily i don't have any, any more)

[Emperor Oli 0]

So what about those that actually collect forged coins? (i know some people do... luckily i don't have any, any more)

In the eyes of the law, they're criminals. I just asked my Mum however (she works for the police) and she said they probably wouldn't prosecute as it "..is not in the public interest.."

[Chris Perkins 223]

I think if you can show that you had no intent in passing them off as the real things (ie they are part of a collection) then the law enforcement angencies would be very unlikely to persue the matter, especially with old, non legal, non precious metal coinage. It would just cost too much to bother with.

It is a very unclear area though. I have quite a few old forgeries; Queen Anne - George VI (Mostly GIII) and find them facinating. I know some people even collect modern fake £1 coins. Now that would be touch and go if you were caught with 50 of them!

[Emperor Oli 0]

I suppose it's like drugs really - if you're caught with a small amount of a low class substance, they'd probably let you off with a warning. I'd imagine its the same with forgeries but I'd be careful.

Edit: Typo

Edited April 2, 2004 by Emperor Oli

[Chris Perkins 223]

I suppose, in Germany, how on earth would a German police man (and they do all have moustaches!) know what was a real Anne farthing, and what wasn't! But even in the UK I've never heard of anyone getting prosecuted for having demonetized forgeries.

I even had my case checked once at Stansted by customs, it had at least 8 forgeries in it. I just explained I was a coin dealer taking this lot to a London coin fair, and they waved me on.

[Emperor Oli 0]

Good point. It would be good if they recruited numismatists like ourselves for a Coin Forgery Squad. heheheh

[Chris Perkins 223]

What a wonderful idea, we could have special uniforms and be like, the coin police! Arresting people left right and centre for asking stupid questions, storing their coins in sweaty PVC, and collecting Isle of Man Cat coins among other very serious offences.

We could even confiscate whole collections that were not being taken care of properly, and put them into a home!

[Emperor Oli 0]

Cruelty against coins! And we'd obviously have superiority over the RSPCA

[Sylvester 15]

Cruelty against coins!  And we'd obviously have superiority over the RSPCA 

CSPCC

Chris' Society for the Protection of Cruelty against Coins...

also part of the CCES (Churchill Crown Eradication Squad)

[Chris Perkins 223]

Stranger things have happened. Right, when I'm an excentic millionaire, I'll set it up and recruit you both.

[Sylvester 15]

Stranger things have happened. Right, when I'm an excentic millionaire, I'll set it up and recruit you both.

I want to be the Crown crusher. My aim in life is to make the Churchill Crown a rarity, now how many would i have to destroy to get it to that level?

[Sylvester 15]

I want to be the Crown crusher. My aim in life is to make the Churchill Crown a rarity, now how many would i have to destroy to get it to that level?

Actually it's probably gonna be easier to get a full set of Gothic Florins in BU than it is to eliminate the Churchill Crown almost entirely from the numismatic collecting pool.

[Chris Perkins 223]

I have nearly 500, but I'm selling them to Motor cyclists as parts at the moment!

[Sylvester 15]

I have nearly 500, but I'm selling them to Motor cyclists as parts at the moment!

I guess we could use them as landfill/hardcore stuff that they bury under the foundations of buildings? Or how about as ballast under railway sleepers for super effective drainage?

[william 0]

CSPCC

Chris' Society for the Protection of Cruelty against Coins...

also part of the CCES (Churchill Crown Eradication Squad)

Sounds like fun...ROTFL! I like that Churchill idea. How about this... the '67 PES-The 1967 Penny Extermination Society.