Detect Counterfeit Trade Dollars
Counterfeit trade dollars have pretty much flooded the market over the past decade. Buyers of trade dollars had better know what they’re buying, and if you don’t know how to tell a counterfeit from the real thing you are best off just buying coins graded by PCGS, NGC or another recognized service that certifies the authenticity of the coin. Here is a listing of a number of points you need to consider while starting to build your trade dollar collection.
Contents
Steps
- You can find a hole behind the ladies head where the ribbon curls, where the metal is chipped out manually.
- The eagle’s eye will be full. On a real coin the eagle’s eye is half shut.
- The true way to identify fake coins is through their weight, fake coins are silver washed over copper, and weigh around 18 grams whereas a real Trade Dollar will weigh 27.22 grams.
- Check for the price at which the trade coins are being offered. Real Trade Dollars coins sell for around US$ 20 for an average conditioned coin. If you are being offered for a lower price, then we would probably have to check out why the sellers offer them at this price.
- Check the coin’s numbers and letters for the same design or font of other like coins.
- Check whether the size of the coin appears in the same size as other like coins
- Examine the metal texture and compare it to authentic coins of the same type.
- You could also identify fake ones through coin turn. Most of the fake coins does not have a coin turn, in other words when you flip the coin normally the reverse is almost upside down.
Tips
- • Most of the fake trade dollars were copied of 1873-CC, 1874-CC, 1874- S, 1875-CC, 1875 -S, 1877 -CC, 1876 -CC and 1878-CC pieces, and every date and mint mark in the Trade Dollar series
- Until you can become an expert in identification of counterfeits, buy certified coins from reputable dealers.
- These fake coins are easy to detect, as they are almost several grams lighter that a real one.
- Most of the fake coins are worn because millions of these coins where made in 1922. The correct ways to find is by checking its weight or use your coin grading books or visit several web-sites that have excellent photos of coins in high definition.
- Even when you can tell the difference, if you’re buying online, only buy certified coins from reputable dealers.
- Ask someone who knows better before buying, and if you don’t know an expert find one on a community website like CoinTalk.com and TradeDollars.org.
Warnings
- For some counterfeiters, it is easier to make a counterfeit slab than it is to make counterfeit coins. Even when purchasing PCGS, NGC, and ANACS certified coins, be sure you deal with a reputable source or you may end up with a counterfeit coin encased in a counterfeit slab.
- Buying on Ebay is a sure way to buy a fake, if you must buy on ebay buy PCGS, NGC or ANACS certified coins and even then the certification might be fake.
- Today’s counterfeit is much higher quality than yesterdays cast slugs. We haven’t seen one yet that has fooled PCGS, NGC or ANACS, but some people think it’s only a matter of time.
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