Potentally Counterfeit 1865 3 Cent Piece

Hey gang!

One of my customers picked up this coin at a little local show. The coin is heavy. It weighs 2.2 grams. The coin is not well centered on the obverse. The luster is soft. The edges look strange. Lots of die cracks.

I'm thinking this is one of the newer breed Chinese counterfeits.

Thoughts?

 

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I think it's genuine Matt. Check this out (same die cracks, etc):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/STUNNING-1865-3-CENT-NICKLE-FULL-DETAILS-WEAK-STRIKE-REVERSE-/120828785695?pt=Coins_US_Individual&hash=item1c21f4f41f

 

Yeah, aren't the 3 cents suppose to be more like 1.9 grams? Can't recall off top of my head.

 

Or the EBay piece is a fake made with the same dies. Most all of the fakes come from EBay anyways. These are supposed to weigh 1.9 grams.

 

Yep... so this one is definitely heavy. Now i have second thoughts...

 

Even if it is a cast fake, I still like that example

 

I'd say that it's definitely die struck... The cracks are indicative of that.

 

The edge does look strange. Never seen anything like that on any coin.
Guy

 

What is that flap-like feature at 1:00?

 

Almost all of the current crop of counterfeits are die struck. I've purchased a number of fakes for study during the past five years and have yet to see a cast example.

 

Fake or not and it sure appears that way, it is a nice example.

 

Well, the eBay link I posted was ended early by the seller. I believe he discovered it was fake, as is Matt's.

 

I'm glad the seller ended the auction. I just can't explain the weight difference and the edges as a genuine mint product... Even in 1865. This coin is scary good tho.