1874 S Trade Dollar Authenticity

I bought this at a show yesterday for $12 as a counterfeit (so the dealer said). It looked good to me, so I bought it as a learning tool if it was indeed fake. I had yet to come across a convincing fake chopmarked trade dollar. But I still can't find anything wrong with it, and the weight is spot-on at 420 grains.

Is there anything wrong about it that I should be aware of before I can sell it?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I thought you said this one was more than $50 in the other thread?

 

Everything in those pictures were under $50. This one was one of the sub-$25 coins. The Morgan and one of the ancients were above $25.

 

Have you tried identifying the countermarks?
Remind you I know nuthin about trade dollars.

 

@Insider

 

Looks genuine to me

 

The lack of detail above and to the right of "IN GOD WE TRUST" make me wonder if it's real. Maybe that's just because of the chopmark on the reverse.

 

That is the result of the chopmark.

 

It looks good to me. The denticles don't look funky or cast.

Have you checked it with a magnet? That would be the only thing left that I think could kill authenticity.

 

Not magnetic in the slightest.

 

I would have it graded. The fact that the dealer says it is fake says something. I would not try to sell it in grades if I was told it was fake.

 

Then I say it's authentic.

Weight being spot on at 420 grains, correct designs for the year, good denticles, no bumps from a casting, no weirdness that jumps out at me (I'm not an expert, but pretty good at T$1's).

I'd submit it. I think it'll come back around (Genuine) Chopmarked XF Details (looks dipped), but it may come back straight graded. For the $12 you have into it, it would be well worth the submission.

 

If genuine that dealer really screwed up...

 

Nothing jumps out as bad. You need to take a photo using fluorescent light for authentication to reduce the glare so we can see the surface better.

The dealer is no dummy. He may have had it checked already. Counterfeit or genuine you got it at a fantastic price, If it comes back fake it is worth $75 to me!

 

Any updates on this coin? Any new information? Did you submit it?

 

Is it silver? (I realize this is an old thread.)
With the chopmarks, shouldn't it weigh LESS than 420 grains?
I believe there are 24 grains in a pennyweight, and 20 pennyweight to the troy ounce. Those chopmarks should take a few grains out.
My feeling if the dealer sold it as a fake, it's not silver. (If he scratch tested it.)

 

Why would it?

 

Because if it weighs 420 originally, punching out small hunks of silver would remove a few grains.
There are 4 chunks missing on this coin. Why should it still weigh 420? That doesn't make any sense.

 

How would one "punch out" material when counterstamping a coin?

 

Nothing is 'punched out' of the coin. It's stamped, much like how the die creates the coin, metal gets moved around, but doesn't leave the coin.