Featured Counterfeit large eagle draped bust dollars

Always good to confirm it in your mind as well in my opinion! Mistakes can be made and I was just involved in a counterfeit "coin" in a TPG slab with a CAC sticker on it and the TPG's guarantee protected the owner. One of the benefits of having it slabbed by a major TPG...

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

What was the fake "tell" ??

 

The counterfeits have improved exponentially. In the 1970's a majority of fakes were very high-grade looking pieces that were not very deceptive for a knowledgeable authenticator to detect. Their surfaces were unusual and easily examined. "Too-good-to-be-true" was a common giveaway! Virtually the only coins seen with "problems" were the "key" date coins in each series. Up to the mid-1990's, US coin authentication was almost a breeze at the TPGS's. An authentication error was very uncommon.

Unfortunately, two major problems have occurred since then:

1. The counterfeits became so good that any authenticator who relied on a hand lens alone could be "duped" at first.

2. As soon as problem coins became eligible for slabbing, corroded, buffed, or otherwise altered surfaces helped hide the unusual surfaces found on most counterfeits.

 

Hope this one is real!

 

Not to mention, people are also counterfeiting the slabs...

 

If from David Lawrence, I wouldn't worry about it being fake

 

These just don't go away...

Latest example listed today on the "Bay" with the same matching marks; starting bid only $500.00:

 

And then there is this from today...

 

The bad thing is some sucker somewhere will buy it as the real thing. Any idea if they lettered the edge of the planchet before they struck it?

 

The edge is plain Conder101.

 

Should have lettered it, would have made it more convincing.

 

Don’t give these people any ideas.

 

That's usually my line.

 

Fakes from this family continue- had contact with a seller in Mexico for his "1800" dated piece. Same 1799 B-10 reverse and matching marks.



And then another fantasy "error" coin:



With all of the activity I decided I should get another summary article out there and submitted the finished version to Coin Week.

Best, Jack.

 

Great work as always Jack.

 

My fascination ends with our collective ability to detect them. As for the counterfeits themselves, my opinion of them and the people who make and distribute them cannot be expressed here because such words cannot be posted on this site. Calling such people thieves and criminals is too mild.

 

From what I have seen, a very large number of the counterfeits that make it TPG holders are in “details” problem coin slabs. Messing with surfaces gives the crooks an opportunity to cover up their problems.

 

My just published Coin Week article: https://coinweek.com/counterfeits/s...0fP8S-BsRrIN_yBmZrMm0rhQEHgS-LA56s4T1fdHVcgBc

 

So Excellent! Great pictures, which helps so much.

 

Thanks again for your tireless work Jack