Is this a real Bar Copper?

Is a question we have received countless times.

And unfortunately the answer is almost always 'no'. The Bar is perhaps the most copied coin of our time, with all sorts of fakes, restrikes, reproductions and modern fantasy pieces in existence. The good news is that it's not that difficult to identify most of them.

Let's start with a genuine Bar Copper:

On genuine examples the 'A' passes over the 'S' on the obverse - though this can be difficult to see conclusively on a worn or slightly weakly struck specimen. The piece illustrated above is exceptionally sharp in this area, but this is hardly typical for the issue.

More reliable diagnostics can be seen on the reverse, including the tiny spur which protrudes upward from the left side of the 2nd bar from bottom, and the tiny die crack in the dead center of the reverse.

If your coin has these distinguishing identifiers, it MAY be real. Electrotype copies of genuine coins will exhibit these same identifiers and so it is still necessary to ascertain the authenticity of your piece by bringing it to an expert.

If your coin doesn't have these distinguishing identifiers, it's not real, and may be one of the following -

The Bolen copy circa 1862 (image courtesy of Stack's):

On Bolen's copies (which were struck in copper, as seen here, brass and silver), the 'S' clearly and distinctly passes over the 'A', there is no reverse spur from the 2nd bar from the bottom, and no central reverse die crack. But note that while this is not a genuine Bar, these copies are collectible in their own right and have meaningful numismatic value. A silver Bolen copy in Stack's May, 2006 Ford sale realized over $7,000.

Another frequently seen copy is this non-deceptive, modern reproduction:

On this piece, the A passes over the S as on a real Bar Copper, but the style and appearance of the letters is a bit heavy and thicker than on an original. On the reverse, the spur from the 2nd bar from the bottom and the central die crack are absent.

Other fakes of unknown origin exist, including this type:

Here again the lettering style is thicker and heavier than on a genuine piece, and the reverse diagnostics are missing.

Created on: July 06, 2007