Hi all: Just got back from Thailand....... You all know where this one is going. I am pretty sure two of these are fake. The other two I am not sure on. Hopefully I can get the photos to up load. Thoughts, comments, good nature d ribbing ??
Just got back from the how to post photos forum. "Read the directions first"!!!!!!! I will fix it now..
They didn't make trade dollars until 1873. This is bad news for your 1871... The picture's small, but the 1875 looks fake as well, and if it's from the same source it almost certainly is.
I like to tap the coins lightly and listen to the ring. 90% silver coins have a pronounced ring to them. It should be a high pitched dinggggggggggggg, that lasts a few seconds. Have you tried this? I ask, because I find that is a quick way to tell if the metal is proper. I wonder if any phonies are made with the proper alloy. Don't strike the coins too harshly though, you don't want to damage their surfaces if they are genuine.
Phonies are absolutely made with the proper alloy. Think about it -- if you have 38 grams of silver, do you want to sell it for melt, or do you want to sell it for the amount someone would pay for a real trade dollar? It's unusual for a coin with a bad date to be made of the correct alloy, however. Those are usually pot metal.
Well the 1875 is the trade dollar. The 1871 has the motto on the banner. they both ring and a magnet will not stick to either of them. The other two, a 1906 standing liberty and a 1922 peace, will both stick to the magnet. While I got them both in Thailand, they did come from different towns and stores. One a small jewelry store and the other an antique store. So I think I am batting 50% here.
So I stopped by the local coin shop on the way home from the studio today. He says all four are fake. Showed me same year coins from his stock and pointed out the difference. I am really not liking China right now. He has a double hand full of fakes people have brought in over the past year or so. Oh well, lesson learned....
