Is your 1916-D the real deal?

The 1916-D Merc dime is one of the most counterfeited pieces in numismatics. Reading Coin World's latest article on the 1916-D dime by Paul Gilkes, he brought to light the following:

1916-D dimes have been counterfeited by:

1.) adding a D mintmark to a 1916-P dime (which has no mintmark)
2.) altering a 1916-S dime to look like a 1916-D

There also have been other high tech tech versions of counterfeiting this coin, but the fact is you have to be aware of what you own or plan to buy.

According to ANACS, 80 to 90% of the 1916-D Mercury dimes submitted to ANACS for grading or shown to graders at shows are COUNTERFEITS. Senior Numismatist Michael Fahey also stated back in 1995 that ANACS, NGC, and PCGS has certified about 1,700 genuine 1916-D Mercury dimes. In contrast, he estimated that between 6,000 to 7,000 fakes are floating around the marketplace.

One quick story...back in the 1990's, a collector told of how he frequented a series of flea markets in eastern Pennsylvania where coins were sold. He purchased heavily worn 1916-D Merc dimes for about $50 each. This collector accumulated more than 200 of these coins. He brought the coins to a coin show for authentication and much to his chagrin, every one of his dimes was a 1916-P dime with the added mint mark. All counterfeit!

So buyer beware...there are more counterfeit "1916-D" dimes floating around than the real deal.

 

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I wouldn't buy a 16-D that was raw and even in the slab I would have to take a good long look....I have see a hand full in my 5 years of collecting...most of them in slabs. (or were in slabs after I saw them)--they ahve all graded AG-G

Speedy

 

good post Midas.

200 fakes.... 50 bucks a piece... I think I'd probably be a little upset myself. I don't know if I could grip losing 10,000 in counterfeits. I had trouble coming to grips with losing 300.00.

 

Know what you mean...even though I haven't lost that much its hard to lose it...when I lose money because I messed up on the grade or the coin had been dipped or such I take it as a learing to me about how to spot what I missed...that is worth much more than any coin.

Speedy

 

I bought mine raw locally at a local "firehall" coin show. Not a big show, in other words. It isn't in good shape (looks like it has been buried). A number of us that chat occasionally at the local store are of the opinion that somebody found it with a metal detector and dinged it up pretty good digging it up. But I admit it could still be fake.

My dealer has been in business for 40+ years, and I know a few of you have done business with him. Or at least mentioned him as a highly reputable dealer worthy of immense trust. When he saw the coin, he offered to buy it from me for almost as much as I paid for it.

 

i was wondering if any one of you knew the difference between a 1916-s and 1916-d dime?

 

Yes, my '16-D is real (at least PCGS says it is).

 

200 times fifty dollars, some thieves made a roll off of that guy, who also was looking to make a roll, buying 16d mercs for 50 bucks.

 

You mean besides one made in San Fransicso and the other in Denver?

And the 16-D is the more rare of all 3 Mints?

 

I have an altered mintmark 1916-d and an altered mintmark 1909-s vdb. I took them both to the dealer at the same time, and he said he didn't like either one. He could show me what was wrong with the 1909, we looked together at the 4 mintmark locations and the parallel serifs. Then we talked about the 1916-d. He said he believed it to be counterfeit. I said that everything looked right to me. He agreed, but said he NEVER trusts a 16-d if it's not in plastic.

We sent them both in, and he was right, they were both altered, but the moral is that this very knowledgeable dealer could easily dispute the cent, the dime he just had to go on gut and general suspicion.

(By the way, both were faked over 30 years ago. I believe WELL over 30 years.)

Good post, Midas!

 

Curiosity question.
Will the reputable TPGs slab a counterfeit, fake or altered coin, marking it as such?

 

They sure will. Although it won't be graded, bar coded, or even set in the right kind of slab. You'll get a big "Questionable Authenticity" title on the body bag.

 

Pcgs says all 3 of mine are real. And to think I almost sold one on this board for cheap!

However I have a bucket of fakes. I buy them for melt I have close to 180 right now.

 

Counterfeit will not be slabbed. Altered might possibly be slabbed as a damaged coin. See http://www.pcgs.com/grades.chtml

 

how do i tell if it is a d?

 

That's actually kinda neat. So where do you come across these? Are they literally in a bucket or do you have a whitman folder full of fake 1916-d coins?

 

I read somewhere else the number of uncertified fakes is around 50%. Either way (your percentage or mine) it's WAY too big of a risk for me to buy any 1916 d uncertified. Slabs only for the key coins -- or I should say, REPUTABLE slabs.

 

Thanks for the post. Here is a previous thread that focused on authenticating a 1916-D.

http://www.cointalk.com/t101697/

 

In general no, but there are a few pieces and/or series where contemporary counterfeits are collected right along side the genuine coins. These will be slabbed. Examples include some of the colonial states pieces where some of the regularly collected varieties are actually contemporary counterfeits, Machins mills pieces which are all counterfeits, NGC slabs Conder tokens that are contemporary counterfeits. (They say they won't but they do. And even identify them by their proper D&H Number. My guess is they don't relize they are counterfeits.) The Machins Mills pieces can be a problem though. Since they aren't real good at attributions it is possible to find Machins Mills pieces that are not Machins but British made counterfeit halfpence, or even genuine Regal issues. Likewise if you look at the genuine Regals sometimes you will find contemporary counterfeits, or if your are lucky even Machins slabbed as genuine halfpence.

 

What is the record price for the 1916-D? I found a MS67 with Full Bands that sold in 2001 at $128,800. http://coins.ha.com Wow. Have they ever gone higher?

Ben