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The Bar copper is undated and of uncertain origin. It has 13 parallel and unconnected bars on one side. On the other side is the large roman-letter USA monogram. The design is virtually identical to that used on a Continental Army uniform button. The significance of the design is clearly defined by its extreme simplicity. The separate 13 states (bars) unite into a single entity as symbolized by the interlocking letters (USA).
This piece is believed to have first circulated in New York during November 1785, and may have been made in England.
John Adams Bolen (1826–1907), a numismatist and a master diesinker in Springfield, Massachusetts, struck copies of the Bar copper around 1862. On these copies, the letter A passes under, instead of over, the S. Bolen's intent was not to deceive, and he advertised his copies plainly as reproductions. But his skills were such that W. Elliot Woodward, a leading auctioneer of tokens and medals in the 1860s, vacillated between selling Bolen's copies and describing them as "dangerous counterfeits." Bolen copies of the Bar copper are highly collectible in their own right, but they are less valuable than the originals.
Obverse Description
13 parallel and unconnected bars.
Reverse Description
Large roman-letter USA monogram.
Catalog Information
GSID:
351
Strike Type:
Business
Coin Shape:
Round
Edge:
Plain
Coin Date:
Bar
Denomination:
Copper
Designation:
MS
Coinage Type:
Bar Cent
Coinage Years:
1785
Composition:
Copper
PCGS #:
599
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Coin Value History
Bar Copper MS BN
Value By Grade
Bar Copper MS BN
CPG (retail) values
Currency
Grade Range
Grading Authority
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Pricing
Values
Greysheet & CPG® Values
| Grade | CAC | CPG Value (Retail) | Greysheet Price (Wholesale) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS65 |
|
$84,000 | $1,234 |
| MS65 | - | $72,000 | $1,234 |
| MS64 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS63 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS62 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS61 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| MS60 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU58 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU55 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU53 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| AU50 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| XF45 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| XF40 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF35 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF30 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF25 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VF20 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| F15 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| F12 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VG10 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| VG8 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| G6 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
| G4 | - | $1,234 | $1,234 |
(1785) Bar Copper AU50 PCGS. Rulau-E-NY-621, Breen-1145, W-8520, R.4. ...
$9,455
(1785) Bar Copper Fine 15 PCGS. Rulau-E-NY-621, Breen-1145, W-8520, R.4. ...
$4,947
(1785) Bar Copper MS65 Brown NGC. CAC. Rulau-E-NY-621, Breen-1145, W-8520, R.4. ...
$85,400
(1785) Bar Copper VF30 PCGS. Rulau-E-NY-621, Breen-1145, W-8520, R.4....
$5,640
(1785) Bar Copper XF45 PCGS. Rulau-E-NY-621, Breen-1145, W-8520, R.4. ...
$9,000
(1785) Bar Copper AU55 PCGS. Breen-1145, W-8520, R.4....
$9,900
(1785) Bar Copper XF40 NGC. Breen-1145, W-8520, R.4. ...
$10,200
(1785) Bar Copper AU58 NGC. Breen-1145, W-8520, R.4. ...
$16,800
(1785) Bar Copper MS62 Brown NGC. Breen-1145, W-8520, R.4. ...
$22,800
(1785) Bar Copper VF35 NGC. Breen-1145, W-8520, R.4. ...
$9,000
(1785) Bar Copper MS63 Brown PCGS. Breen-1145, W-8520, R.4. ...
$30,550
(1785) Bar Copper Good 4 PCGS. Breen-1145, W-8520, R.4. ...
$3,497
(1785) COPPER Bar Copper -- Rim Damage -- PCGS Genuine. VF Details. Breen-1145, W-8520, R.4. ...
$3,760
(1785) COPPER Bar Copper AU53 PCGS. Breen-1145, W-8520. ...
$11,750
$1,898
(1785) COPPER Bar Copper MS61 Brown NGC. ...
$18,800
(1785) COPPER Bar Copper Genuine PCGS. Breen-1145, W-8520, R.4. ...
$1,840
(1785) 'USA' Bar Copper -- Corroded -- NCS. AU Details. Rulau-E-NY-621, Breen-1145, W-8520, R.4....
$4,320
(1785) Bar Copper MS65 Brown PCGS. Breen-1145, W-8520, R.4. ...
$60,000
Bar Cent PCGS VF30 (OGH)
$6,900
Greysheet News
Prominent Collector Dell Loy Hansen Submitting His Historical Collection Of U.S. Coins To CAC Grading
8/8/2024
American Numismatic Association's Largest Coin Show, August 6-10 In Chicago
Dazzling rarities, free educational opportunities, family fun and more await at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
7/25/2024
United States Mint Unveils Designs For The 2025 United States Marine Corps 250th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Program
The designs will be featured on a $5 gold coin, a $1 silver coin, and a half dollar clad coin.
7/23/2024
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