................I don't. I picked this up at a LCS junk bin for a $1.00 It doesn't sound or feel like a dime or silver. It has a dull pewter sound. Why counterfeit these? Was it financially equitable back in 1897? Maybe?
.... I don't know if that one particular one is counterfeit. But if you search those chinese websites .. right now you can get a 1897 PCGS MS64BN (yes, in a fake PCGS slab), plus many other years ... all fake. I'd guess it must be profitable for them at some level (low labor, raw material, etc costs).
Was it worthwhile to counterfeit a dime out of base metal in the late 1800s? Probably. Average wages for skilled workers at that time were a few dollars a day. Ten cents was enough for a good meal.
I too believe that is a cool contemporary counterfeit. I believe @JCro57 was searching for contemporary counterfeit examples to illustrate a publication he was doing not long ago.
I gotta digest this thread. Is contemporary counterfeit a specific date range? https://www.cointalk.com/threads/contemporary-counterfeits.284893/
Not really a specific date range: usually, I use the term "contemporary counterfeit" for fakes made during the production of the coin, or while that coin was circulating. These were intended to pass as legitimate coins in commerce, not to fool collectors.
As stated above, this is a contemporary counterfeit. These were commonly cast (I’ve seen a mould for an 1854 (?) dime before), as your specimen is. Cool find! I pick up such coins when I come across them
Cast contemporary counterfeit. I like these. Some are very good some rather crude. My favorite is struck counterfeits made from homemade dies. Some are pretty crude some really convincing
Gents- If submitted how would it come back, counterfeit or bagged?..... or do I have to designate attribution?
I bought a quarter back when msn had a coin auction, was advertised as a counterfeite.. VERY heavy and metal is soft. suspect is lead. looks nice