Just joined PCGS and got there coin grading and counterfit book. This looks like a good example of a counterfit. What do you guys think? http://cgi.ebay.com/1909-S-5-00-GOL...325300806QQcategoryZ39470QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I am using the book as a reference. I know very little about mint marks for the indian half eagles. The pics show that the typical "s" is identical to the 1909 vdb s mint mark, and is usually not so clear.
Here are some pics from heritage. Hopefully the links work, you can zoom and and compare http://www.heritagecoins.com/common/view_item.php?Inventory_No=149945001#photo http://www.heritagecoins.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=65082&Lot_No=23546#Photo
I gotta tell ya - based on the mint mark, I wouldn't say. What I did was go to Heritage like you - but instead of looking at cents, I looked $5 gold Indians. They have quite a few in the archives. And there are one or two with a mint mark just like the one in the ebay pic. There are several like the S on the S VDB cent as well. All that this proves is that they used different punches for the mint marks. It was common back then. I will say this - I would not buy a 1909-S $5 Indian that was not slabbed unless I had a GREAT deal of trust in the person selling it.
Doug, Here are the pics from the book. They are the intellectual property of PCGS, so you may delete them if my posting violates any laws. Pic of a genuine MM Pic of the "snake S" counterfeit MM As to the original post, I certainly see what you are saying, it looks questionable to me.
Hey CT - go take a look at the Heritage archives. Take a look at the pics on Coin Facts too. They have examples of both types of the S you have pictured below - slabbed as genuine by ANACS, NGC and yes - even PCGS. That kind of makes me question the information in the book
Look carefully at the picture of the reverse. The coin is rotated about 20 or 30 degrees clockwise, yet the "S" is perfectly vertical. It's almost as if someone turned the coin slightly and then stamped the mintmark onto it. I don't think its real.
You mean that PCGS isn't perfect!! I thought PCGS stood for PERFECT coin Grading Company, but I guess I was wrong. I just photographed the pages that the OP was talking about, but I also looked at the old heritage photos too and I agree that something isn't right.
