See link below. Pretty sure it's fake, but what's with the extra raised areas on the obverse? Looks like die clashing. Is it? Cal Link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-1873-...202445?hash=item590e31514d:g:64kAAOSwi49bIb0j
Yes, it appears to be a clash on that coin. You can actually see it on both sides. And not my expertise at all, but that coin looks pretty fake to me (the rim being my giveaway).
I'm thinking it's fake as well but don't really know this coin type. I don't see many fakes with clash marks. Interesting coin.
100% fake. The denticles and date are nothing like the real thing. Yes, that's a die clash next to the date.
Clash marks make me think the counterfeiters had a high-speed coining press or were very careless. Fakes of Bailly pattern dollars have appeared on the market before. Every uncertified one that I've seen for sale has been a fake. Seems a strange one to fake because there are so few real ones that any that appear for sale get scrutinized and compared to real ones of prior sales. Kind of like 1804 dollars, just not as famous or rare. Cal
Clash marks don't have to mean high speed presses, just a misfeed of a planchet. There were die clashes back in the day of the muscle powered screw presses.
True. But if the coiners are reasonably sober and careful, seems like a planchet misfeed is less likely with a slow, manual press. But who knows how many beers counterfeiters drink during their "work". Maybe strike an occasional coin on a finger! Cal
What about a average speed toggle press? They only run 60 to 100 coins per minute. That's NOT high speed but all it takes is a little inattention that lets the feed hopper run out, or a planchet to stick momentarily in the feed tube and not get fed in and bang you have a die clash. (High speed would be the modern Schular horizontal striking presses, 750 coins per minute) Even with the old screw presses you get into a rhythm with the striking (swing pull back, swing pull back etc) and you expect the person inserting the planchet to keep up the same rhythm. He misses getting the planchet in and shouts "STOP" it's typically too late to stop that swing, and BANG. And if you have automatic feed, the guys doing the swinging can't see that the planchet didn't get placed. And even if they could breaking that rhythm in time to stop is unlikely.
I should have been clearer. By high speed, I meant a press that automates planchet feeding as opposed to a manual-fed press, like a screw press or home-made hydraulic press. I've assumed most counterfeiters of collector coins use the latter because it's cheaper, more available, and production runs are small. But yeah, a little inattention to even the latter type could result in clashed dies. Cal
