Trade dollar

It's hard to tell just from photos. It's always better to feel the coin in your hand and look at it with natural lighting. It seems very brown to me in these photos.
Even though it is very worn the designs look right. If it comes back authentic,
VG-08 is possible although I am closer to G-06.
Maybe some acetone before sending it, just to loosen and remove that black crud trapped in the reverse before it gets entombed.

 

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Professional conservation would deal ONLY with the black debris. NOTHING would be done to the rest of the coin because it might remove skin and expose hairlines.

 

I did not notice the debris. I did ask them to evaluate for conservation but my main concern is authenticity. I hope to hear any day now. The suspense is killing me!

 

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Looks good to me but I'm no expert on trade dollars. I just compared it to others and nothing jumps out as out of place/proportion.

 

Think about this.

1. Why would anyone counterfeit a well worn common date Trade dollar?

and this...

2. Why would anyone counterfeit a well worn common date Trade dollar?

The answer to these questions may be the reason for your concern.

 

1. Well worn common date coins less likely to arouse suspicion.
2. Well worn common date coins are more affordable for suckers like me.
3. Trade dollars are scarce and sought after.
4. Even if it is fake I still like it.
I bought the ticket, I take the ride.

 

Sending this to Anacs seems like the right call. An inexpensive lesson from a respected grading company is one of the benefits of Anacs and ICG.

And I'll guess it's real too.

 

If I were a counterfeiter ....would it be safer for me to sell 100 counterfiet well worn common date Trade dollars to rubes on the internet who might or might not authenticate them
OR take a big risk selling one counterfiet mint state key date Trade dollar for big bucks in an auction, or to a dealer who would know exactly what to look for and what to do about it?

 

Most of the counterfeit trade dollars I see are in the xf to au range. With or without chops. Most are cc mints but not all. Most genuine trade dollars I see are xf-au too. Some with chops some no. The fakes can be downright laughable to downright scary

 

It's real, just worn. Here's a genuine one to compare.

 

What a beauty!

 

Usually the fakes have bad designs. While yours is worn, it looks right.
It's a difficult coin to buy raw because it is one of the most faked coins there is.
That doesn't mean there aren't plenty of legit ones available. It's probably best to buy in person from a reputable dealer, and a scale. It's difficult for fakes to weigh the same because the composition is different. Now if you are faking gold, I think tungsten has a similar density. I'm guessing real top value $150 retail, and probably more in the $125 area.

 

You have more guts than I do, for sure. I wouldn’t touch a raw trade dollar with a 10-foot pole. Just a lot of fakes out there. Hope it turns out well for you!

 

I’ve bought quite a few actually.

 

I took a gamble.

 

Nothing tells me it's not genuine.

 

Just looks like a genuine pocket coin to me.