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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;satootoko, post: 9788, member: 669&quot;]One of these is a genuine Meiji 28 (1905) Japanese ¥1 silver coin (Y#A25.2)<img src="http://forums.collectors.com/i/authorsicons/icon_smiley2.gif" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> , the other is a cast counterfeit of a Meiji 8 (1875) coin (Y#A25.3)<img src="http://forums.collectors.com/i/authorsicons/icon_nono.gif" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> .&nbsp; (The mark in a circle at the left of the denomination on the genuine coin is not a chopmark.&nbsp; It says &quot;Gin&quot; = &quot;Silver&quot;, and was added at the main mint in Osaka, to support it&#039;s circulation as a bullion coin in the Far East when the series was demonetized.&nbsp; The Tokyo mint put the same mark to the right of the denomination.)</p><p><br /></p><p>The extra wide rim on the fake is the first tipoff.&nbsp; The grainy surface, typical of a coin which has been cast rather than struck, is usually much harder to confirm in a picture, but this one is so bad that most experienced collectors/dealers would at least question it.&nbsp; Not apparent from the pictures are the two conclusive factors condemning the coin.&nbsp; It&#039;s diameter is a full 40mm, instead of the genuine 38.6mm for that year; and the weight is only 25.8g&nbsp; instead of the genuine 26.96.</p><p><br /></p><p>In my opinion at least 35-40% of all 19th Century and early 20th Century Japanese coins offered on EBay are either contemporary circulating counterfeits, or recent copies made for sale to tourists.&nbsp; Having a few known fakes around for comparison <b>can</b> be helpful.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://tinyurl.com/333yp" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /><img src="http://tinyurl.com/3gs7d" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://tinyurl.com/2g3th" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /><img src="http://tinyurl.com/2q4t6" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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