Trade dollars and Morgan's in australia

Hi I have no idea about coins, I recently purchased a house in Australia that had a large tin of coins in the shed that the previous owner wasn't interested in. I have done a few hours of reading and have ruled out a few things that would suggest the coins are fake, I am banking on the fact they are but wanted to make sure before I completely ruled them out.
There are 4 trade dollars 1875-1878 and two Morgan's 1892s and 1887. I only have scales that go to the gram and each weighed 27g (some flicking from 26 - 27), a magnet did not stick to any.
I have checked the features of each and they seem correct, and they are all inverted on the back ( not quite 180 degrees in some cases but very close). There was also a 1935 Daniel Boone half dollar weighing 12 grams, and a magnet did not stick. I have attached photos if anyone could rule them out straight away and I'll put them back in the shed
I go to the states for work on a regular basis and next time I go I'll take them to a coin shop that can have a look at them in person if worthwhile. Many many thanks

 

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All look extra fake to me, especially Trades.

The half seems to come from this origin (Aliexpress):

 

Hey, Brett: Thanks for sharing the pics. First thing to note is that even a seasoned numismatist will be unlikely to definitely conclude as to the authenticity of your coins based just on photos.

To be honest, I took a break from this site and canceled my old account because I found that there were a lot of unhelpful, grumpy people on this site.

Don't get me wrong, there are some great people on here who can be very helpful, but there are also a lot of people who are dismissive of any new member's posts, quick to make conclusions without any explanation whatsoever.

I imagine that the average coin collector over age 50 has a pony tail that they pull through the opening in the back of their baseball cap and just sit by their computer arguing all day with others of the same style.

I advise, bring those coins to a coin shop. Formal grading can be expensive to the point that the process costs more than the coins are worth, however most coin shops are decent, and they'll let you know if it's worth grading, maybe charging you 5 dollars or so for that quick assessment.

Either way, that Morgan, if real, which it does seem to be, would only be worth in that 20 to 30 dollar range. The trade dollars maybe in that $100 ballpark apiece, so it's not a big treasure regardless.

Also a good way to test the authenticity of a coin with silver in it is to clang it against another coin and if it's authentic then it'll have a ping echo very distinguishable from when a clad coin is clanged against another coin. Good luck, bud.

 

As a guy who deals in Trade Dollars frequently, I can tell you that those are all counterfeit. The strike detail shows uneven "wear" in all the wrong places, and the digits of the date do not match what the digits should look like on authentic trade dollars.

Really the same goes for the Morgan dollars. They have the look of counterfeits that often come from China.

The only one I am unsure of is the Boone half, only because I do not have much experience with commemoratives like others here do, so I will defer to them.

(BTW, if that 1875-P trade dollar were real it would be a $1000+ coin, but sadly, it is not).

 

Welcome to the forum! I used to live in Oz for a couple of years, great place. I'm going to agree with everyone above, I think they're fake. But at least you have some cool pocket pieces!

 

Yeah, the morgan is a fake too. Look at the size of the obverse stars and the weakness of berty on the cap band. It's is one of the better looking fakes though

 

I'm curious to see if they are magnetic. I agree that they are fakes, but fakes can be a great learning experience. Can anyone post pics of the real coins in question to compare to the fakes? Might be useful to the OP and other beginning collectors to see a side by side.

 

Welcome to the site!

 

I'm going to yield to others on the question of authenticity. But I find the situation very strange: four consecutive trade dollar dates, all apparently in roughly the same shape, tossed into a tin. Doesn't sound like something the owner had much regard for.

 

While this may be sound advice in the the most general sense, it is far from absolute. In fact, and at least with the shown supposed dollars, any "seasoned numismatist" familiar with the types should indeed be able to identify them as counterfeit based only on the provided photos.

As for taking to a shop, here too it would be wise to remember that "dealer" is not synonymous with "expert". While any self-respecting dealer should be able to identify poor fakes, it should be understood that not all possess this vast knowledge some seem to think and/or hope. Unfortunately, plenty of poor and even harmful advice has come from the other side of the counter.

Lastly, instead of ranting on, "imagining" what you do not know, or taking unprovoked pot shots at your fellow forumites, perhaps it would be wise to focus first on bettering yourself.

 

Exactly, dealer doesn't mean expert. Hell, I've only been serious about coins for a year and a half or so but I'm a quick study... I have 2 lcs's in my area that call me to validate error coins, toners and vams. And I'm far from a true expert. I just know more than they do about those

That said though most dealers do have the ability to distinguish all but the best counterfits of most series as half of being a dealer is being a buyer so it's only good business to know plus many coins pass through a dealers hands on an almost daily basis. That said though every single dealer can be fooled now and again

 

That part of my post was meant mostly in a general sense. Think of how often here it is recommended to "take it to a dealer", often regarding potential error or varieties. Unfortunately, while the average B&M may do fairly well with average every day material, as you said the situation changes when it comes to coins more in a niche category. Do you remember how many shops were hit and taken by the "1903-CC Morgans" and their pals a few years back? It happens more than some would like to admit.

 

And will a dealer in Australia have enough familiarity to identify a counterfeit of a coin from another country? Remember they probably don't see as many Trade Dollars as a US dealer.

I believe the are all fakes with better than a 95% certainty.

 

Most no, though there are a couple in Sydney/Melboune/Brisbane that have a fair amount of US inventory and may be helpful in such instances.

 

None of the trade dollars are real. They all have the mushy details especially on the reverse and poorly formed denticles I see in the typical fakes. Same with the Morgan dollars. The color and the general feel is off. Even from those pics I knew there was something wrong with the trades the second I saw them and the 1878 is in Philadelphia a proof only year do a business strike 78 is something that doesn't exist. 78-s is one of the most common trades tho.

 

Are you f*****serious!! No ponytail here thru my ball cap. And yes I have all my hair too I spend my days in a woodworking shop which is my business not in front of a computer. And I can tell you flat out from the pics that the trades are no good. The 1878 p in business strike is a combination that plain doesn't exist. All 4 aren't real and I can tell from the pics. Maybe you should get your head out of your ass and learn something about coins and what a real numismatist is before you go around making assumptions and insulting those that know far more about coins than you do. And believe me if this is the way you are no wonder people were unfriendly and grumpy. Needless to say I find you insulting and ignorant and I won't be reading any more of your posts. Goodbye!

 

I made this bet on another site, Bill. This guy joined yesterday, made two flaming posts, then vanished. I suspect he's the same guy who posted under two different, new accounts over the weekend, pulling the same stunt. Even money says we won't hear from him again, unless it's under still another name.

 

There isn't a lot that sets me off but people who are both ignorant and insulting do. I hope he stays gone and good riddance. I think this is only the second person I've blocked here