There are a lot of strict protocols and procedures in place to ensure that reputable bullion dealers only sell the real deal. Interestingly, while entire date sets of counterfeit Indian Head quarter eagles, half eagles, and eagles have been seen, relatively few pre-1840 gold counterfeits exist. Of course, one of the main reasons for the high level of forgeries among historic US gold coins is technological. This means the only way one is able to detect a counterfeit is through careful examination. If I were to buy some back I would not need to do any chemical testing to verify that one is real. Yet this was billed as a California gold coin. Page 1 of 2 1 2 Next > JCro57 Making Errors Great Again. What are High Relief and Ultra High Relief Coins? These refiners have all met the minimum standards set by the LBMA, allowing them to appear in their Good Delivery list. In 1853, Gideon B. Smith patented the first fake gold coin detector, which became an essential piece of equipment. Fake 1875-S U.S. Trade Dollar Fake Coins,Counterfeit Coins,& Altered Coins Fake 1943-S Copper Lincoln Wheat Cent Counterfeit coins are created for a variety of reasons. One longtime dealer simply will not accept any gold coins from Iran, for example, knowing that most of their gold coins may be counterfeit. This video covers testing, weighing & measuring smaller denomination counterfeit pre-1965 silver coins in circulation. If discoloration does appear, then your item may only be gold plated. In fact, the PCGS noted that US gold quarter eagles coins have “the largest ratio of design element-to-field, making it more difficult for proper authentication.” With more design elements, there is more room on the coin to hide depressions or tooling marks. Pre-1933 Gold counterfeits can be deceptive to the untrained eye. A few silver counterfeits also have been made this way, as have some fake copper coins. Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by JCro57, Sep 30, 2018. Many counterfeiters will add them to fakes to make them appear more genuine. In recent years sovereign mints have taken additional steps to counteract the trend in counterfeit precious metals. A few years ago, it was reported that fake gold was being sold in Manhattan, New York. It didn’t take long for the counterfeiters to turn the tables though, and history is littered with stories of counterfeit gold. As I wrote here, China is flooding the markets with counterfeit gold coins. JM Bullion carries a wide selection of pre-1933 US Gold Coins, as well as verified Mercury Dimes. The incuse design introduced on these coins in 1908 was new at the time, and not well received by the public. Here are two from different auctions. First and foremost, rarity comes into play when you are talking about pre-1933 US gold coins. US gold quarter eagle coins were small coins compared to modern bullion and proof products, which means that counterfeiters don’t need a lot of gold to make fake copies of these coins. Most pieces of real gold, including coins, bars and jewelry, should have a stamp that shows the purity of the gold. Similar practices were employed in the middle ages, but counterfeit coins didn’t become widespread until modern times. Other frequently encountered fake gold bullion coins include the South African gold Krugerrand at 30.4 per cent and the Mexican gold 50 pesos at 20.1 per cent. We’re not going to tell you to avoid using eBay altogether. Prior to this, people would run rudimentary checks to determine whether a coin contained real gold or a cheap base metal. When you shop with an authorized dealer such as JM Bullion, working closely with the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation and Professional Coin Grading Service, you can nab some of the most historically significant US gold coins of all time without worrying about the authenticity of your piece. How to Detect Altered & Counterfiet Coins The 1942/1 Mercury Dime . According to several respected coin and bullion dealers, many of the counterfeit gold coins are being produced in China, among other places. The 1914 quarter eagle is commonly counterfeited because it had the second-lowest mintage in the program’s history (1908-1929). However, these gradings are not cheap, and they are therefore not viable if you’re fairly sure that what you have is fake, or if the piece is small, common and otherwise inexpensive. The single most counterfeited series of U.S. gold coins is the Indian Head Quarter Eagle. I believe these are among the hardest to counterfeit bullion coins in the world. 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