Absolutely. Education is the key to counterfeit detection. Die markers are the most commonly used method. Then there's weight, specific gravity tests, provenance, etc.
I'm actually reading a book on this issue - 'Numismatic Forgery' Personally, I find it a little terrifying, but the information is brilliant, along with great photo examples so you see what the author is talking about.
As Jody526 mentioned, education is the key. If you know exactly what a genuine piece should look like, what coloration it should have, how much it should weigh, what its diameter and thickness should be, what kind of strike to expect, and how it should show wear, you will usually spot all but the most perfect fakes. Also, check out >> this thread <<. And, never forget that the problems with US Trade Dollars also exist with British and Japanese Trade Dollars, Meiji era Japanese Yen, and all the other silver crowns which circulated in the Far East during the 19th and early 20th Centuries.
