i am looking to add a oregon trail to my collection i see them on ebay from 105 to 600 i dont really care about it being cleaned or professional graded i just want a nice coin. how can i spot fakes and what else should i look for thanks
get something thats graded by pcgs or ngc and ask before you buy or you will lose money. i have been wanting to buy that same coin for over a year now but the right one has simply not come along .
i think vast majority are genuine, not aware of any fakes out there unless you buy from seller in china.
The Oregon Trail Half is one of the more affordable Early US Commems so it is not as large a target of counterfeiters as, say, the Hawaiian or the Old Spanish Trail halves. Breen & Swiatek do not list any known counterfeits in their US Commem book BUT counterfeits may exist. I would recommend that you look for the standard indicators of counterfeits: improper weight, Specific Gravity or diminsions, porosity for cast coins, tool marks, repeating depressions, mushy details, etc. Whizzing or polishing may hide the counterfeit indicators.
I agree about buying an NGC or PCGS certified example. There are many available and at affordable prices. You should be able to acquire a nice, common date MS65 for $300 or a bit less, or an MS66 for approximately 25% more.
