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Message:: [QUOTE="johnny54321, post: 483227, member: 13342"][FONT=arial,helvetica][FONT=arial,helvetica][FONT=arial,helvetica]Spark-Erosion Counterfeits[/FONT][FONT=arial,helvetica]  [/FONT][FONT=arial,helvetica]"Spark-erosion counterfeits are quite easy to detect because of the way in which they are manufactured.  [/FONT][FONT=arial,helvetica]In the spark-erosion process, a model coin (usually genuine) is submersed in an electrolytic bath where the coin faces the counterfeiter's die steel. An electrical current is charged through the coin so that a spark jumps across the shortest gap between the coin and the die, thus etching the coin's design onto the steel die. [/FONT][FONT=arial,helvetica]After both the obverse and reverse have undergone the electrical current process, the dies are highly polished. This is necessary because once the dies have been etched, they remain somewhat pitted. The polishing generally will clean up the fields, but often the design will retain the pitting, since counterfeiters tend not to polish the main devices. Either they are unable to get down into the design, or for time's sake they choose to leave the design elements alone. In either case, these counterfeits are easy to detect, since their surfaces are glassy smooth-resembling a Proof finish-yet their devices are lumpy (remember, the pitting on the dies becomes raised lumps on the finished product). Because the excessive polishing makes the dies sharp, these counterfeits appear to be extremely well-struck, with knifelike edges and rims."[/FONT] [FONT=arial,helvetica]I'm not saying the coin is fake, but it tends to sort of match this description from the PCGS counterfeit guide.[/FONT] [FONT=arial,helvetica][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/QUOTE]

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