offset from the mint or fake

Oh Boy, here I go again. After being told that with my limited knowledge not to buy raw coins. It seems I just can't stop looking for that diamond in the rough. I picked up this coin with obvious problems, and with my limited resources cannot decide if it would be considered an error coin or a Chinese fake. Opinions please....

 

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Chinese fake. The distorted 3 in the date instantly identifies it as a fake.

The 1873 two cent piece is also a proof only year. This clearly isn't a proof.

 

It's on you this time. You knew better and chose to throw your money away anyway, even though by your own admission your resources are limited. Thirty seconds on Google would have provided all the information you needed to see this is an obvious fake. You don't even need to come to a place like this to figure it out.

Unless you start learning, you are going to be a broke, disappointed and angry former coin collector. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Put this money into the lottery; your chances are better than those of an uninformed collector continuing to buy anyway.

The only thing I hate more than having to say things like this to people, is having to say it so often. I just don't get it.

 

Just look at the rough surfaces. I always keep a loupe with me to look at all coins.

 

New collectors often make the same mistake you did: looking for a "diamond in the rough" that will be worth much more than they paid for it. Seldom do the most-experienced collectors achieve that.

Please stop buying raw coins now!

 

See the granular devices but smooth fields? Made from a counterfeit cast die that was polished. You can also see the polishing lines in the fields also! The polishing was done poorly and didn't reach into the device areas of the dies.

 

The R and the surfaces should have been a dead giveaway, instead, you gave away your limited resources.

 

Oh Boy, here I go again. After being told that with my limited knowledge not to buy raw coins. It seems I just can't stop looking for that diamond in the rough. I picked up this coin with obvious problems, and with my limited resources cannot decide if it would be considered an error coin or a Chinese fake. Opinions please.... View attachment 486561 View attachment 486562 View attachment 486563 View attachment 486564 View attachment 486565

 

I understand that you may not be happy with the answers you got in the previous thread, but starting another identical thread in the same forum isn't likely to get you answers that make you any happier.

 

OMG! It's a fake??? I paid $2,640.00 for a proof coin......
Just kidding hehehe. Not to worry gentlemen,I thought it was worth a look from the experts. And maybe some other uneducated collector as myself would learn from experiences of others good and bad. After all isn't that what this is about. Maybe start a new thread. Post your faux pas.
Sincerely, thank you for time and opinions.....

 

You're right that this is about learning . But you have to realize you have to take the advice . If you must buy off ebay , you can start a thread before you buy asking for opinions on a coin you're interested in , as most only want to help and won't bid on a fellow members coin unless they already were bidding .

 

Merged the two topics.

 

Any member here who gets in front of you on a coin for which you ask our opinions, is going to wish they'd never done so. It's kind of an unwritten rule, because it so rarely happens that advice is asked on some sort of major rarity cherrypick. Please, ask first.

 

A couple of the coins that came in the box, perhaps a little more to your liking.

 

I truly appreciate the advice and banter on this sight. I am a novice collector, and probably in comparison to others always will be. But I'm happy, and learn something new everyday. I have made only one coin purchase off of fleabay, and sold one coin. Neither being a favorable experience. Needed to test the waters I suppose. The 1873 2 cent coin was part of a bulk purchase at an estate sale, along with that we're the two Morgan's that I wanted plus a couple graded Franklins, Kennedy's, and state quarters. Raw coins included an 1856 seated half dime, 1876 seated dime, and a partial Roosevelt dime collection. My research on the 2 cent piece was dead end after dead end. Yes 600 closed 3 proofs, and 500 open 3 proof coins minted, I got that. But being the novice that I am I thought why not the possibility of an error proof. Hence the posting to the pros. I must admit I'm a little gun shy to post the seated coins for opinions. Ha! just kidding, I have thick skin and am a firm believer in no such thing as a stupid question. Thanks again, Michael

 

The Morgans both look ok to me as far as authenticity. I'm tempted to guess the reverse has environmental damage (I can't really tell, but it looks like terminal black toning -- could be crud though, so maybe an acetone bath is warranted). 1884-O looks like artificial toning on the reverse.

 

ditto

 

I was wondering why the Redbook listed circulated grade prices for this coin if it was only issued in proof? Is there such thing as a Proof-VG if it found it's way into circulation?

 

I've seen PFs in the 50s with old issues.