Looks fake to me. The color is off; it does not look 90% gold. Details are mushy. Stars are misshapened. And I also see what look like tool marks at some of the denticles (Obverse: 3:30 & 9:00). The spaces denticles between the denticles are filled in many places.
I agree with Hobo. I think the gold plating is wearing off at the high points, revealing the base metal underneath.
Any speculation as to the metal underneath? I've seen a plated sovereign with a platinum core, wouldn't it be nice to find a similar quarter eagle?
I cant get past the weight of the coin. What base could you coat and still be at .02 grams from an MS coin. I know I post some weird stuff but it's just an open question from 30 years back. I started to clean it up 20 years ago but decided to let it be. It would actually be really cool if it were a fake. If it turned out to be contemporary ,even better.
Are you assuming the coin is the correct diameter and thickness or have you measured it? The counterfeiter could have used a base metal (lighter than 90% gold) and made the coin slightly larger than a genuine example and produce a coin that is almost dead on for weight.
At this point I'm almost sure it's real but messed with. Sounds strange but I wanted it to be a copy. Thanks everyone.
The color in the hair seems to be a natural lightly toned gold color. The rest seems to have some funky cleaning/weird toning to it. From the specs, and my observations...it seems to be real.
I don't gamble with folks wearing dark glasses If the black areas in the image were gone would it look real? I know it's a weird coin but thats what I do.
Something just is not right with that coin. Gold doesn't tarnish. Does it?? I don't own enough to know if it does or does not. Anyways a fake in my book.
Cant you do a specific gravity (density) test? Arent they 90% gold? Should be simple to figure out if its real or not. But on looks I would say fake fake fake...
Well I do not live close to a coin dealer and if it were my coin I would take in to a jeweler friend of mine. Sure looks like some type of gold plated metal to me but I am far from an expert and paranoid about everything.dd: I have read somewhere that gold can have a different color depending on the type of gold it is and where it was minded