I'm really not a hard collector anymore although i do tend to buy morgans/peace dollars once in a while and all these threads recently i've read is about the counterfeits and really got me wondering if my coins i own right now are fake. I would like to know how can i distinguish a fake coin with a real one? The only things i know right now would be to check the rim for copper and the weight to be close range from original. What else could i check to know if coins are fake?(especially in silver coins) Also recently bought a eagle cent wondering if theres something i should look for? Thanks :thumb:
In all honesty here are so many things to list that it defies making a list. Basically any of the myriad of tiny details on the coin can be wrong. There can be depressions or raised bumps. There can be casting bubbles or a casting seam. The weight can be too light, too heavy or just right - yeah many fakes are of the correct weight. It can be the wrong diameter or thickness. Now the hard one to get around are the details of the design. And to be able to determine fakes you have to know what all of those details are on genuine coins plus all of their various varieties. So unless you can do that, you really can't tell if your coin is genuine or fake. And yes, you probably do own some fakes, almost everybody does.
You can decrease your risk of owning counterfeits by only buying PCGS or NGC certified coins (from a reputable dealer) or sending your raw coins in to be certified. TC
Just a caveat ... there are a lot of fake coins in fake PCGS and NGC slabs. The counterfeiters even match up the serial number on the slab with the correct coin and grade ... except the coin and slab are fake.
Agreed. That is why I said that it will only decrease risk. Buying from a reputable dealer that checks/guarantees its inventory is also helpful. TC
