I'm not sure how to post photos, but I have... a 1798 trade dollar (I'm sure thats a fake) a 1873 trade dollar and a 1865 one dollar with a head on one side and an eagle on the other. How can I tell if they are fakes? Thanks
Hi welcome to the forum and I am sorry to hear that you think you have been scammed. One way to tell a fake is by it's weight/size compared tothe weight and size of the real thing, then there is the apperance of the coin, has it got a dull gray look to it, is the surface of the coin soapy or looks bubbled in any way! but honestly a scan or pic is the best way for us to give a opinion on the coin.
Welcome .. and another way to know is ... how much did you pay and where did you get them? If the answer is Ebay or Flea Market and a great price ... odds are likely, yes, scam.
welcome! as mentioned, if you can post any good and clear pics, that is the only way we can tell with the best certainty. as CoinGal07 said, however, depending on how, were and how much you paid for them.. that is a good indication as well, but not as good as pics IMHO.
My dad got the coins from Vietnam some time ago, not sure how much they were? here are links to the photos of the coins, sorry I'm still unsure how to put up the pics. http://images.trademe.co.nz/photoserver/63/63966863_full.jpg http://images.trademe.co.nz/photoserver/95/63966895_full.jpg http://images.trademe.co.nz/photoserver/75/63966875_full.jpg http://images.trademe.co.nz/photoserver/21/63966921_full.jpg http://images.trademe.co.nz/photoserver/11/63966911_full.jpg http://images.trademe.co.nz/photoserver/35/63966935_full.jpg Hopefully you can help in my quest to find out if they are fakes.
The last one is a Fantasy Piece. The first one, fake as well (there were no trade dollars then, they started in 1873) I'm not completely certain on the 2nd...
Welcome to Coin Talk kiwi kelly. The trade dollars appear to be fake in my opinion. As for the Washington dollar, nice fantasy piece. Lou
All of them look fake. Look at the eight on the second trade dollar and compare to an authentic trade dollar. They just don't match up.
You should buy a Red Book. If a coin is not in the Red Book it is not a genuine US coin. The Red Book could have told you that Trade Dollars were not minted in 1798 and the US did not mint a Washington Dollar in 1865 based on a design that was not released until 1932 (for the Washington Quarter). As far as the other Trade Dollar, we cannot tell if it is genuine or fake from the photos. My guess is it is a fake, especially if it was purchased from the same seller as the other coins. I hope you didn't pay a lot for these novelty items. They can be used as educational pieces as well as conversation pieces.
COOL. Thank you very much for the info. I have learnt so much from this website, Dad has about 6 more coins, I'll look at them myself and any I'm not sure about I'll come back here and ask you! Thanks again. Kelly
Welcome! Hope ya stick around. :thumb: Even though they are fakes, I'd still say they are neat conversation pieces. :thumb: Phoenix
welcome to the forums, Those are fake's. The Last on is just some sorta fantasy coin. My guess is there all made in china.
If your Dad got these in Vietnam some time ago, I'd be inclined to regard them as interesting artifacts, rather than a scam. Interesting fakes can be good collector's items as long as you didn't pay a lot for them.
