I already know the answer, but... ... for the sake of others who, like me, may not be up to speed on such things... 1) Real or fake 2) If real, what grade? 3) If fake, why?
Sadly I have to say "fake." There is big patch of roughness on the reverese in the area of "D STA" that should not be there. It's not die rust or post mint damage. Genuine coins from the turn of last century don't have that. Check out this one from the same era.
Why not, I'll play along even though I'm far from an expert. I'm going with fake. The first thing that caught my attention was the dull flat sheen like play-doh. Second, it looks like it's in a 2x2 flip, would anyone actually put a gold coin in a cardboard flip?
Ever been to any big coin shows? Gold coins in cardboard flips all over the place. They can't ALL be fake ;-)
Yes, they do it, but that is a good reason to get your guard up. As the previous poster said, not all coins in 2X2s and flips are bad, but if it is a coin of some value, you sometimes wonder why it is not certified. Years ago NGC used to certify gold coins that were worth less than $400 or $500 for $15. I don't know that they will do that any more, but if there are simliar deals out there, it should make you think before you buy raw US gold coins.
The NGC fee for grading common gold is $30 per coin minimum. They get a minimum of $35 each for gold dollars, all quarter eagles and for Indian half eagles.
Oh well. So much for cheap slabbing. Add to that the postage both ways, which has really gotten expensive, and it’s not viable for many gold coins with low mark-ups.
I agree- counterfeit coin. Colour is off, ridges are off (additional circle around them), and details are not prominent. I hope you didn't pay too much for this coin.
I spoke with the dealer today and, although he stands by the authenticity, he also guarantees all purchases and will refund my money.
FWIW, I took it to 2 different LCS today and they both said it was definitely real. One of them has been in the business for 40+ years, the other for 20+ years and learned the business from his father. I don't know what to think. Bottom line, I'm returning it because if it causes this much confusion *now*, I'd hate to be there when I (or my descendants) go to sell it...
