... and off eBay, no less. This coin is the epitome of crust, imho. It also is a type1/2, considerably more scarce than the 1/1, at least without chopmarks, as most went to China.
I must be skiddish. The rim doesn't look right to me, and I'm questioning authenticity. It could just be Chinese fake paranoia.
No, you're just being realistic. Because if you assume every loose trade dollar you look at is a fake, you will be right more often than not. It is said there are more fake ones in existence now than real ones.
No offense but I don't know if it helps to have such a skeptical view like this. I mean you can do what you want but wow, I just can't believe how skeptical you are with all these raw coins. Have you been burned a lot in the past before and are you drawing from your own personal experience?
I hear ya, MBT. I haven't found anything to conclusively condemn it as a counterfeit, but I would run, not walk, away from this one. sight-unseen + raw + ebay + trade dollar = forget it for me.
I think it' very reasonable to question the authenticity of any raw trade dollar-- and some that are in tpg holders-- because the fakes are so pervasive. I've scrutinized this coin very carefully, the rims and dentils are fine, the reeding is fine, and of course, the weight is correct, I'm satisfied that it's genuine. I'm very careful about buying raw TD's, having learned plenty from past mistakes. I think anyone who posts raw coins here should expect-- even hope for!-- honest opinions, as long as opinions are directed at the coin and not the owner.
It looks genuine to me - I see nothing suspicious about it, even considering how many counterfeits there are. If it were being offered by an established seller and certified, I bet it would look just fine to you, to.
I don't see anything suspicious about the coin or wear pattern, but I understand everyone's concerns. My type trade dollar I purchased PCGS certified to crack out in my type set just for the extra security.
The coin is worn to about xf, imo, and wear is congruent between the obv. and rev., imo. The coin is very dark and lightened somewhat by overexposure to show more detail in the photos. I suspect it may have been stored in a purse for a long, long, time! I'm pretty familiar with the rim issues common to many fakes made from transfer dies, and the rims on this one are ok. I wouldn't advise anyone to start buying these raw on eBAy! I'm sure there are plenty of folks who don't like a deep dark crust on their coins, but for me, finding one that hasn't been gone after with Brillo and EZest is very satisfying!
