Hiya everyone. So I have decided to write up another Counterfeit thread. I will link to the others at the bottom of this thread. I'll start by clarifying that I am by no means an expert on this series, I actually don't even own any. Other than the counterfeit I am posting pictures of. The pictures of the authentic coin are courtesy of Heritage Auctions. The coin in this thread will be a 1914 quarter eagle, and IS a counterfeit coin, please feel free to add anything you notice wrong with the coin and feel free to ask questions, as I do have the coin in hand. As silly as it seems, I feel this one WOULD be able to trick someone. (If it weren't for the weird gouge at 6 on teh Obv, and 12 on the REV) These coins look significantly worse in photos and I think if it were sitting in a flip, with a bunch other coins, it would be rather difficult to spot right away. Just my opinion. Several things I notice about the counterfeit are: OBV Really mushy "Strike" The obvious gouge/line running parallel with the bottom of the OBV Missing initials The color And of course, the grainy texture result of being cast REV The same gouge/line as seen on the OBV Lack of detail seen all over the eagle, especially on the wings, and head The weird streaks above the right hand side of the eagle The grainy texture once again And also the reeded edge is mushy and inconsistent. The weight of an authentic Indian head quarter eagle is 4.18 grams and the counterfeit weighs 2.24 grams. COUNTERFEIT AUTHENTIC 1914 D Lincoln 1809 Capped bust Dime
Thanks Green, Yeah there are a few members I was hoping would jump in, but no one bit. Hoping some members have pictures they can add at least.
Where did you come by / how did you come to own the counterfeit quarter eagle? Is there an interesting story there? Or did you just buy it for the fact that it was fake and educational in some regards? Since the 1914 2.5 is amongst the rarer issues are they more heavily counterfeited?
Honestly I couldn't tell you which are more heavily counterfeited, as I said, I don't collect the series. But I did purchase this coin as a counterfeit off ebay. There are several people on this forum that I know shun purchasing counterfeit coins off there. I bought these coins for 1.50 each free shipping. I plan on taking the 30 dollars or so i spent. And educate as many people as I can with it. I have done a few previous threads, and I plan on many more. I can chalk that 30$ up to an education better than any other 30$ I've spent. If I can prevent others from purchasing counterfeits unknowingly, then I will.
I didn't post about it because it seemed to me you pretty well covered it all. In other words, there's not anything I can add. Good job :thumb:
I think there's a difference between "authentic" and "original"....but people seem to use the 2 words interchangeably. Authentic means "correct in every detail", while original....means just that. The word authentic is frequently followed by "reproduction"....and I think that's acceptable use of the word. Original....means original. "Genuine" and "original" seem better choices to me than "authentic". As for the gold.....That one's pretty easy to spot. Thanks for the info. Nightowl