Hi I was wondering if you could help me tell if my Carson City Dollar is real or not. It looks to me like the S on States and the A of America are to close to wings. Please help me. Thanks
The coin dosent look like it has any luster at all very dull, usually something to tell with fakes, and the strike looks really deep, Im not sure but it sure does look funny.
It is a coin someone offered to me. I will weigh it before I buy, if the weight is correct should i buy?
Yes because no other metal weighs the same as silver, Fakes can be made out of silver to you know. Good ones at least.
You can do the ring test too. Fakes are supposed to sound different when you tap them on a hard surface. If you have a cheap silver dollar you know is real you can compare. I like to drop them from about 2 inches such that they spin a little after hitting the table. Little chance to damage the coin (I think) yet you can hear how it sounds.
The ring test is not failsafe. A genuine coin that has been in a fire can lose its ring. Cheap cast counterfeits usually do not have a ring like a genuine coin but struck counterfeits (especially those that are of correct alloy) can ring exactly like a genuine coin.
True, the ring test isn't failsafe, but then neither is the magnet. If the coin fails tests like this it's a fake. These tests are simple and inexpensive for a quick test. The only failsafe is probably sending it to get certified.
I’m not really sure about the magnet test… it’s only going to be attracted to ferrous metals, if the coin is an alloy of nonferrous metal, it can still be a counterfeit.
That's true, these tests can't prove it's real, but they can prove it's fake. I would use these quick easy and inexpensive tests first, if if fails any of these you got your answer.
Good answer, especially regarding the weight. Correct weight does not mean its good silver. I have seen fake silver coins, (lower quality), that mixed in lead with lighter metals to make weight equal to silver. An incorrect weight proves its false, a correct weight simply means weight cannot prove it false. MOST of the time correct weight will mean the coin is good, but not always.