Quality of 1878 CC Trade Dollar

I have an 1878 CC Trade Dollar that has been slightly discolored. However the coin itself is in AU condition. How would the discoloration impact the value of the coin?

 

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It depends. Got a photo?

 

You can use photobucket.com for large images it,s free and easy to use ")

 

nnnms. yeah, ya got any pics?

 

1983 mint set

Thanks Hobo! No I do not have a picture. I'll take one as soon as I can. I'm new to CoinTalk and just beginning to realize some of the things I must do to participate successfully.

 

Stewart,

Where did you acquire your Trade Dollar? In case you haven't heard, Trade Dollars are heavily counterfeited. If you can post good, sharp photos we may be able to determine if your TD is genuine or fake. (If it is attracted to a magnet you can stop there because it will be a fake.)

 

If it's raw it's probably fake.

 

Dan, we can't possibly know that yet...

 

I know it's extreme to decide without pictures but I'm just stating the likely :thumb:

 

Let's just wait for the "head shots".....

 

Thanks Hobo! I've had the coin for about 40 years. . .and no it is not attracted to a magnet. Thanks for the info . . .I never knew that. When I gat a picture I'll send it along.

 

Magnet test is only one of hundreds of ways to tell a coin is fake. Just because it doesn't stick to a magnet means it's real.

 

Stealer . . .what other tests would you suggest?

 

You could do the "ring" test but I wouldn't recommend it with this coin. Silver coins resonate a distinctive sound when dropped on a hard surface.

 

Thanks green . . .I agree with you . . .I don't think I want to take that chance.

 

Qualty of 1878 CC Trade Dollar

Sorry for the delay in getting these pictures posted . . .had to get a new camera! I hope the photo quality is good enough to review the discoloration. . . and for a quality determination on the coin.

 

I have to disagree with that statement. Perhaps you meant to say, "Just because it doesn't stick to a magnet DOES NOT mean it's real."

For the record I would like to clarify my previous statement in case anyone else tries to read more into it than I said or intended. I said:

I meant exactly what I said. IF the coin is attracted to a magnet it is fake. (And I meant the OP's coin, a Trade Dollar. I know other genuine coins, e.g., 1943 Cents, are attracted to a magnet.) I did NOT say if the coin is NOT attracted to a magnet that means IT IS GENUINE. I only meant that A GENUINE US TRADE DOLLAR WILL NOT BE ATTRACTED TO A MAGNET. Nothing more.

Sheeeesh!

 

One of the easier tests is to weigh it. Many fakes will not be of correct weight although this is not definitive. A real one should weigh around 27.2g with perhaps 0.1 or 0.2g acceptable range due to wear.

Another test is to measure the diameter using calipers and/or the old pi r squared thing - 38.1mm. It's hard to get both the weight and diameter correct.

Another test I have heard about is to look at the reeding on the edge of the coin. Reeding should be extremely uniform; counterfeits often fall down when the edge is examined. This is probably difficult unless you have another to compare against.

The fact that it is 40 years old is a good start.

 

Not a good assumption right out of the shoot.