1888 Morgan... Counterfeit?

I hadn't noticed that spot before... I tried to get a better picture of it but my Microscope is broken right now and I haven't picked up a new one yet... It's a tiny little chip that is taken out of the surface, it's just an indent with no displaced metal which is pretty suspicious, thanks for pointing that out!

 

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The whole date and the stars all look just a tiny bit too "round" compared to the one I know is genuine

 

I am 90% sure that the 1888 is a counterfeit. It has that Chinese look to it. If it's not a counterfeit, it's been cleaned to death and therefore worth no more than a Morgan Silver Dollar "box coin" that would be sold as "Any coin for $X."

Comparing it to a 1921 dollar is not really valid since all of the artwork was re-done for the 1921 dollars. They are both Morgan Dollars, but they differ significantly in the details.

 

Fake.

First, you shouldn't compare a 1888 with a 1921. The 1921 design has a lot of subtle differences. As for where the problems are, look at the lower right reverse.

 

I'm with most here. My guess is counterfeit but could be wrong if all the other parameters are within tolerances of specs. If it is genuine, it has been whizzed to death as indicated by the roundness of the date and stars. My first thought was it had spent too long in an acid bath of some kind to result in the surface roughness. Not one I'd put in my collection but for only $10 I guess the risk wasn't too great. Here are a couple of mine to compare to yours.
The first one is AU and the second is MS, IMO. Both are raw.

 

I am very suspicious of it, but it is remotely possible that it is just a genuine coin that has been messed with.

 

I agree with Publicus 2. When in doubt, PASS!!!

 

It is a butt-ugly coin for sure...tho I don't see why anyone would go thru the effort to counterfeit such a common morgan. It's one of highest minted ones out there; 5th or 6th highest at a quick glance. You can find a MS65 example easily for less that $300, more or less. Just my "2 cents"

 

The Chinese have made a 1958 cent. Nothing is safe from them.

 

From what i have read, when it looks sandblasted, it is most likely going to be fake. Have you weighed it or done an assay test?

 

Exactly. Look at the difference in the chins (shape), but not fake differences. Others as well, but pretty sure it's a genuine article.

 

Yes the weight is dead on, I don't have the stuff for doing an assay test but it just looks and feels wrong in hand, doesn't quite feel like silver...

 

I really appreciate everybody's opinions on this, ya'll have brought up some very valid points that I didn't think of and I'm pretty much convinced that it is counterfeit now. Like I said earlier tho, I only have $10 into it so it's not a huge deal, just another interesting lesson...

 

Take it to a local dealer and have it checked out. If you have a bad vibe about it, just pass it up, If you already own it get a second opinion from a responsible source, good luck.

 

Eagle claws look different to me but no close up.

 

Jeez. Wow...

 

I'm thinking fake this time. On the obverse I've never seen a ring around the outside of the denticles like that. On the reverse, the font in the word DOLLAR is much too thick. Those are the most obvious problems I see.

 

I will say counterfeit. First thing I would do is check the metal content with XRF since the weight is correct. Then check the coin for known die characteristics of the original VAM varieties. If no match, that too will confirm a counterfeit. If I had the coin in hand, I would use a half dozen checks to determine it's authenticity.
I have seen full sets of counterfeit Morgan and Peace Dollars so don't be surprised to see common dates counterfeited. It's a good reason to read books before buying coins and also learning counterfeit diagnostics compared to genuine diagnostics.

 

oh, forgot the clang method, drop an old morgan on a hard surface and hear the clang, then hear the clang on this one.

 

The 1888 doesn't look right to me. I suspect its fake.