Just saw a very deceptive altered date!

@Jack D. Young

 

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In the second coin, the top and bottom of the first 7 in the date line up with the 8 next to it. On the first coin, they don't. That 7 is slightly taller than the 8 and the bottom of the 7 is lower than the 8. Plus I see what are possibly some faint remnants of tooling marks in that area.

 

I'm sorry, but I don't see anything that can't be explained by PMD on copper. Copper just isn't that precise after a little circulation. It spreads and causes illusions of variations which do not come from the dies.

So, you got me. I can't tell if either or both are fakes or not.

 

These last posts that describe what is seen are amazing. That's what I like to read.

The second coin is the added mintmark example. Anyone blowing by might miss it while they are looking at the scratches and trying to grade the coin.

One diagnostic of genuine 77's has been mentioned. The "flag" on the second 7 is taller than the "flag" on the first 7.

Wear can change the shape of a coin's devices. That may account for some of the differences. What struck my eye has not been mentioned. Note that the stem of the upright attached to the flag is wider on the altered coin.

Finally , you'll note that I added a clue-like mistake when I posted to disregard the scratches on the GENUINE COIN (actually the altered coin). I do this type of trick all the time in class to get students to think for themselves. DON'T BELIEVE ALL YOU READ OR ARE TOLD BY ANYONE until you can confirm it for yourself and also verify the knowledge of the "expert." Thanks for playing.

 

added mintmark?

 

I noticed that, but it's not unlike the spread of the thin fraction bar S-195 to give an appearance of a S-194 if you don't know other markers. I also just about picked up a coin because the berry was too high for a known variety, except that it had all the other markers of a common variety. The copper of the berry and the leaf above were slightly flattened giving the illusion of a high berry. I've also seen grease on a die cause missing detail.

So I just have to admit that sometimes I can't tell. (But here's a little secret. Sometimes the TPGs can tell either.)

Higher grade specimens help and I deal almost exclusively in low grade early copper. If the coins I have were in top grades, I'd have a million dollar collection. But most are in AG and damaged.

But thanks for the post. I'm a fan of the numismatists with sharper eyes than myself that are helping raise awareness of a problem some refuse to acknowledge. I need a 52" screen and software to do the basics.