This coin popped up on eBay. I initially thought it was fake, but closer inspection showed that it was a genuine 1818 B-10 quarter in VF condition. The Chinese struck fakes were made using an 1818 B-10 in VF condition. There was only one other bidder, so I guess most others thought it was counterfeit. The differences can be seen upon comparison. Notice how the edges of the devices are fuzzy, the surfaces are rough, and there are pimples everywhere. Also diagnostic is the egde. The edge on the genuine coins is “notched”, while the fakes are “reeded” indicative of being struck in a collar. I could see this notching in the seller’s picture, further alluding to its authenticity.
Very good post, and I commend your bravery and confidence with buying an 1818 B-10 in VF raw. There are fakes of other dates that use the same pair of dies, and it is very easy to identify them since this die marriage has some pretty distinctive die markers. It’s interesting to see how much thicker the fake is when compared to the genuine coin. Does the fake have a die crack through the 2 in “25 C.?”
Good educational thread! What really sticks out to me are the messed up dentils on the fake, like on fake trade dollars. Nice view of the edges too.
Here are some other fake bust quarters struck with dies made from that 1818 B-10. Fortunately it’s a lot easier to pick them out when they aren’t dated 1818. https://www.cointalk.com/threads/anyone-want-a-fake-bust-quarter.298696/ https://www.cointalk.com/threads/thoughts-on-this-1823-bust-quarter.252344/