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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;johnmilton, post: 24570781, member: 101855&quot;]There are “fingerprints,” but you need a photographic mind and a huge memory to recall them without help (book, photos etc.). The “vampire” marks on a Draped Bust dollar are a classic example.</p><p><br /></p><p>The crooks make their dies by copying genuine coins. Therefore knowing die varieties will not save you alone. Marks on the genuine coin are transferred to the counterfeits so identical marks on two coins is a bad sign. The trouble is you are usually looking at only on coin at a time.</p><p><br /></p><p>Other markers are improper relief or missing or weak details on the highest part of the design. Sometimes, if you are very familiar with the real thing, it just doesn’t look right. I got fooled in a counterfeit class by a bad piece that was almost perfectly executed, but the date style was wrong.</p><p><br /></p><p>As you can see, counterfeit detection is not easy. It’s a discipline unto itself. Buying coins in holders is a first defense, but it’s not perfect. If a bad coin gets into a real holder, you have recourse with the certification company unless it’s “Joe Blow’s fly by night grading service.” That’s why it’s never a good idea to buy an expensive raw coin, unless you really know the series and know what you are doing.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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