HomeUS CoinsFrom the Dark Corner: An "Authenticated" Counterfeit 1836 Gobrecht Dollar

From the Dark Corner: An “Authenticated” Counterfeit 1836 Gobrecht Dollar

By Jack D. Young, Early American Coppers (EAC) ……
 

Another of the holed and Gobrecht Dollar repaired fakes, the 1836 Gobrecht Dollar is one of the most expensive “varieties” of the deceptive struck counterfeit series. It is also one of the most TPG-authenticated of the group, with eight certified examples documented and several having sold in major auction venues (as well as other internet selling sites).

Per usual, I will start with a certified “Dark Corner” example AND the holed genuine example.

From the Dark Corner: An
Documented TPG Certified Example (certified PR15)
From the Dark Corner: An
Genuine Holed Source Example

The damage was minor for this one, and a good choice; just minor re-engraving of details was required (“OF”) but still enough to help attribute these.

In my detailed research article on these, I included the “attribution marks” as follows, including the tooling at the top and back of “OF”:

From the Dark Corner: An
Left: Probable Repaired Source Coin. Center: Genuine Example. Right: Struck Counterfeit.

Images below show the progression into one of the struck counterfeits (repaired source middle):

From the Dark Corner: An
The Progression from Genuine to fake 1836 “Gobrecht”.

The counterfeit 1836 Gobrecht Dollar on the right is the last one known/documented. It actually shipped through China via the Netherlands by a now-unlisted seller. It is the eighth known “certified genuine” example, but we continue to be on the lookout for others.

The clones match so well that the indication of “repairs” was noted on the label of this counterfeit! Label states: “1836 $ PROOF J-30 RESTRIKE REPAIRED – CLEANED PF 20 DETAILS”

Additional detailed information on these and the research involved can be found in my CoinWeek article linked above. Also, reference my Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) article in the Gobrecht Journal #137, 2021.

And again, should you see another one “out there”, report it! There are several unaccounted for.

Best as always,

–Jack


MORE Articles on Counterfeit Coins by Jack D. Young

 

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Jack D. Young
Jack D. Young
Jack D. Young is an engineer by training and a leading researcher on today’s wave of deceptive struck counterfeits. He founded the “Dark Side” Counterfeits and Fakes Facebook watch group and is an active member of EAC, LSCC, C4, the NLG, the ANA, and the ANS. Jack has consulted with staff of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, a senior U.S. Secret Service agent through the Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force, and agents of CBP and the Department of the Treasury on the growing threat of counterfeits in the hobby. His research has appeared in multiple club journals, including The Numismatist, and was acknowledged by Q. David Bowers in The Copper Coins of Vermont (2018). Jack received the ACTF Alan Kreuzer Award in 2019 and the PNG Sol Kaplan Award in 2022.

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