Here's an error for ya!!

As you say, Bill, if there is a rash of in-collar double struck buffalo nickels with approximately the same amount of rotation and with a weak second strike of approximately the same strength, that would raise suspicions. That's why it's imperative to study the coin under magnification with a comparison specimen handy. As you correctly noted, fakes can occasionally be found in all the top-tier slabs. The one that appeared most recently in Coin World was slabbed by NGC. However, I've found fake second strikes and fake off-metals in PCGS slabs.

 

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Here's a link to the NGC-slabbed fake:

http://www.coinworld.com/articles/certified-struck-fragment-incompatible-with-m

A particularly egregious example.

 

Hi Mike,

Thanks for that link. As well as you showing the coin, your article points out how many things are analyzed when an error coin is looked at for authenticity. It's not just one or two points. In most cases, there are many factors that must be weighed based upon the minting practices in play at the time the coin was struck.

Yes, there are simple, obvious ones like the 1999 "Rotated Die cent" that I mentioned earlier in this thread that had a seam around the rim on the reverse. Then there are coins like the one you analyzed. In fact, you listed ten points of interest found on just that one coin in order to prove the coin a fabricated, man-made, post mint creation.

Thanks for a great article!

Bill