For example, a counterfeiter can purchase a 1909 Lincoln cent with the designer's initials of V. D. B. on the reverse for under twenty dollars. There are different metal alloys that counterfeiters use that appear to be silver. Once the molds are ready, the molten metal is poured into the mold. If you're going to be spending a substantial amount of money on a coin, it is a good idea to protect yourself by adhering to these four principles: Counterfeit coins can be grouped into three different categories: struck counterfeits, cast counterfeits, and altered coins. I have 12 blog writing on "how to detect counterfeit coins". Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection. Also, inspect the edge of the coin for file marks indicating a sprue or seam was removed. Ring Test for testing to see if the coin is made of silver. Ferrous materials, such as iron and steel, will attach to a magnet and are not part of nearly any United States coins. West, Doug. United States Gold Counterfeit Detection Guide. Do not buy bargain coins offered at flea markets and online. Observing the Gold Weigh the gold. How Do You Detect a Counterfeit Coin Made With One of the Above Methods? Lesson learned. As a result, your genuine coin with lots of wear will weigh less than the specified value by a few tenths of a gram, sometimes more if the wear is excessive. Counterfeit coins are nothing new to the world of coin collecting; they have been around for centuries (if not millennia). Yes it is. Whitman Publishing. Other such alterations are made by changing a 1941 Walking Liberty half dollar into a 1921, or manipulating the date of a common Indian Head cent to the rare 1877. Examining Security Features Hold the bill up to the light. Contact your local police department OR call your local U.S. Secret Service Office. In response to your email to me, my 1770 8 reales Mexico city mint has genuine looking diagnostics, but has several tiny, near microscopic scratches in the E of VTRAQUE and I am wondering if they were put there to hide deceptive diagnostics. If the coin doesn't have much wear it should weight 27 grams, be 39mm in diameter, and not be magnetic. Chinese counterfeit coins and bars have been passed off as legitimate for more than a decade. Silver and gold are soft metals and tend to wear more rapidly than a copper or nickel alloy coin. 2019. A counterfeit note cannot be exchanged for a genuine one, and it is illegal to knowingly pass counterfeit currency. Since most collectors don’t have a safe full of genuine rare coins for comparison, the next best thing is to look at pictures of genuine coins and their specific die characteristics. When that die wore out or broke, the artist would create another one. To avoid getting duped by an unscrupulous coin dealer or collector into unknowingly purchasing a counterfeit coin, there are a few basic techniques and tools that can help. On the other hand, if an official coin specification states that it does contain steel, then a genuine coin will stick to the magnet. The potential counterfeit coin is balanced on the tip of a finger then struck lightly with a known silver coin on the edge. Doug West (author) from Missouri on November 08, 2019: War Nickels should not be magnetic. The methods presented in the guide will help you identify most of the more obvious counterfeit coins. The Spruce Crafts uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. If the weight of your coin is more than the specified amount, then you probably have a fake. Detecting Counterfeit Coins Book 1, Heigh Ho Printing Company. Pay careful attention to the date and mint mark of the coin; an added or removed mint mark or altered date can make a large difference in the value of a coin. An unscrupulous person with a minimal amount of experience can take a 1928-S peace dollar and remove the S mintmark. The first task is to define what we mean by optimally. Coinage of the United States: A Short History. A skilled counterfeiter can split the two coins in half and use the obverse of the 1926 nickel with the reverse of the 1929 nickel from San Francisco and create a 1926-S Buffalo nickel that is worth close to $10,000. Like nearly every other area of commerce, coin collecting has moved to the internet. Dishonest people are always developing new methods of counterfeiting coins. Several scientific methods may give you a clue if a coin is counterfeit or not. The House of Collectables. Travers, Scott A. The United States mint only made one coin that contains steel: the 1943 Lincoln cent. This proves that the flaws are in the dies used to strike the coins. shaunc011ett - April 2, 2020. NGC offers numerous educational resources to help collectors and dealers avoid counterfeit or altered coins. A counterfeit coin is any coin that is made by an individual without the knowledge and consent of the issuing country or entity. Any of these techniques leads to an incredibly deceptive counterfeit coin. I suggest you take it to a coin dealer or collector and have them look at the coin. If any of these characteristics are evident in the coin, don't buy it! There are other methods to identify counterfeit coins, such as chemical acid testing, an electronic tester, specific gravity testing, laboratory material properties analysis, and die variety studies. 2. A professionally graded and authenticated coin. Anyone wishing to buy coins should know these sure sign tales of counterfeit coins. The higher the silver content, the longer the ring will last. If all these measurements are correct then you may have a real coin. Thank you for the information. 1988. If not, read on. One other type of alteration is changing the date of the coin. Demas W Jasper from Today's America and The World Beyond on May 19, 2019: Fine service to those of us interested, and good trivia for those who didn't think they would be interested until they read the article. The demand for rare coins has not only raised the value of collectible coins but has also created a rise in the number of counterfeit coins … The coin may be a counterfeit if it has a seam around the edge or a bit of a protrusion on the edge that could be left by a casting sprue (the channel used to pour metal into a mold). Compare the coin to the picture in the Red Book or online photos of the genuine coin to look for obvious mistakes made by counterfeiters. A more complicated situation arises when a coin weighs the correct amount but still may be a counterfeit. These advances have made modern coins more difficult to counterfeit. If anything seems inconsistent, it’s best to inquire elsewhere. The wear on the coin has reduced the weight to 11.9 grams. However, some inconsistencies still existed with this manual process. Also, professionally graded coins are in inert and sealed holders that are excellent for long term storage and are much easier to sell. By adding a “D” mint mark to the reverse of a 1916 dime minted at Philadelphia, which has no mint mark, the value of the coin goes from a few dollars to a few hundred or more. Counterfeiters like this method because this process does not destroy the host coin. It is not illegal in China to manufacture fake coins. Please note that just because a coin may pass the tests on this page does not mean it is genuine. The genuine copper version of the coin will not be attracted to the magnet; however, a copper coated steel cent will be strongly attracted to the magnet. 1914 Quarter Eagle. By using The Spruce Crafts, you accept our, Improving Your Counterfeit Detection Skills, Inside a Chinese Coin Counterfeiting Ring, What Are Doubled Die Coins and How to Identify Them, Lincoln Wheat Penny Key Dates, Rarities and Varieties. Top 10 Most Valuable U.S. Reeded Edge Defined - What is a Reeded Edge? NGC graders identify counterfeit coins with added or altered mint marks each and every day. For example, on eBay, check to see if the dealer has a lot of positive feedback or if they are a novice. Counterfeit 1913 Great Britain Sovereign No. Magnetic Slide Test. Therefore, although two coins may be the same denomination and date, coins produced from different handmade coin dies will have differences. They always contain something special. Huge … For example, a 1943 Lincoln cent should be made out of zinc plated steel. Split coins are another example of a counterfeit coin that has been radically altered. 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