Conversely, on the genuine piece, it is clear that each window was meticulously sculpted by hand by a master engraver. Unable to subscribe to our eNewsletter. These counterfeit gold coins were found unexpectedly among a group of US coins freshly returned from Europe. Red circles compare some of the repeating features identified on the reverses of these counterfeit coins. CoinWeek does not buy or sell coins or numismatic material and No endorsement or affiliation to or from CoinWeek.com is made. One ounce 24k gold coins, such as Canadian gold maple leaf coins, should weigh 31.1 grams. A cursory examination of this 2014-W Proof Gold Eagle revealed numerous differences between it and an authentic example. They pass the size test. A careful examination of the details can reveal a counterfeit. The most frequently encountered fake foreign gold bullion coins include the South African gold Kruggerand at 30.4 percent, the Canadian gold Maple Leaf at 24.2 percent, and the Mexican gold 50-pesos at 20.1 percent. An unexpected error has occurred. In total, three more counterfeit coins, two dated 1907 and one more 1882, were identified among the many hundreds of genuine Liberty Half Eagles that comprised this group. Want news like this delivered to your inbox once a month? Many collectors might assume that modern coins are not counterfeited and they, therefore, take little time to examine such a coin. All of the counterfeit coins/holders seen so far are coming out of China. 1922 No D Lincoln Cent. This coin, however, had wonderful original color, owing to its long storage in near-ideal conditions. Issued in one ounce, half-ounce, quarter-ounce and tenth-ounce sizes, gold eagles (or more accurately American Eagle Gold Coins) are 22 karat (.916 fine) coins struck at the West Point Mint and forged from gold … Any size piece of genuine gold will immediately sink to the bottom of any liquid. The magnet would reveal the underlying metal. A genuine one-ounce American Eagle gold coin is on the left. Very seldom are counterfeit coins with this high-level of surface quality seen. All News, Articles, Commentary and Opinions are contributed by the author(s), with or without compensation, who are solely responsible for the content, and do not represent CoinWeek Management. This fake eagle measures 38.86 mm rather than the 40.6 mm it should.) The Philadelphia Mint did not strike any Lincoln Cents in 1922. Join NGC for free to add coins, track your collection and participate in the NGC Registry. A careful examination of the finer details reveals numerous differences. They are among the most appealing US gold coins available in the marketplace. THE OFFICIAL 2021 MEGA RED BOOK DELUXE EDITION, LIGHTHOUSE INTERCEPT SHIELD DOUBLE ROW SLAB BOX, PROFESSIONAL LARGE TABLE TOP SCALE (4000 X .1 G), LIGHTHOUSE HIGH PERFORMANCE DIGITAL MICROSCOPE, BCW TOPLOAD HOLDERS -- LARGE CURRENCY -- PACK OF 25, Collector's Assistant - World , Ancient, US and Paper, HEAVY DUTY DOUBLE ROW SLAB/CROWN BOX (10 INCH), PLEASURE AND PROFIT: 100 LESSONS FOR BUILDING AND SELLING A COLLECTION OF RARE COINS, LIGHTHOUSE COIN CLEANING FLUID FOR ALL COINS. Thermal Conductivity Testing for Silver. Interested in more Counterfeit Detection articles, click here. (The forger also got the diameter wrong. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Gold is a very dense metal, so it will be heavier than it looks. The genuine coin is nearly flawless with deeply mirrored, black fields and well-frosted devices. Further along in the group, an 1882 $5 was identified with similar characteristics and was similarly set aside. Below is the reverse of the counterfeit coin. Click here. Here are the best ways to spot fake gold or silver. ALERT! In addition to the Capitol, there are vast differences in the foot details. The only other series of counterfeits that could compare in quantity to the $2½ "Indians" would be $1 gold coins (if all three types are added together), followed closely by $3 gold pieces and $5 "Indians." Interestingly, these coins prove that counterfeit coins had entered streams of international commerce. 2020 © DISCLAIMER: All content within CoinWeek.com is presented for informational purposes only, with no guarantee of accuracy. Look closely at these modern coins before you buy. Detecting Counterfeit American Gold and Silver Eagles? Most noticeably, there was a major die-polishing error when making the counterfeit, putting a big hole right through Liberty’s sleeve. Her late husband purchased 30 of them. One issue that should be pointed out on the reverse, however, is that somehow the birds in the nest have been magically transformed by the counterfeiter into pigeons instead of eagles. In recent days, counterfeit coins in counterfeit PCGS slabs have begun to appear on eBay, the online auction site. A cup of water is all you need for another important test. I have 1 gold eagle I got from the LCS. There are fake gold coins in fake slabs! Detecting counterfeit coins or fake gold bars can be as easy as using a magnet or spotting obvious errors, but Chinese fakes are getting better as criminals based there acquire sophisticated equipment such as 3D scanners and CNC mills. They are old fakes, probably unknown by their previous owners. The most important thing to remember is to always look closely at your coins, even if they appear genuine at first glance or are newly issued. TENSOR LIGHT - used by many numismatists to examine and grade coins. While some of these coins can appear “dirty” with dark high points, the very best of them have a rich orange patina and full mint bloom. Starting in the late 1970s and continuing to this day, a great “repatriation” has occurred. _______________________________________________________________________, CoinWeek Ancient Coin Series – The Seleucids and Their Coins: Part III, The Numismatic Versus: Comparing Coin Collecting Methods, Heritage Offers Cid-Pulido Collection of Spanish Banknotes in FUN Auction, Classic US Gold Coins: What’s Hot and What’s Not – 2021 Edition, CoinWeek Podcast #146: Harriet Tubman Considered, Perth Mint Offers 2021 Year of the Ox Antiqued 2oz Silver Coin, ANA College Scholarships Available to Young Collectors, Zoom Video Presentation: Travels in Judea and Samaria: Coins & Etc. In general, the risk of buying fake gold bars or coins is minimal as long as you stick to well-known sovereign coins like Eagles or Maple Leafs … When both coins were examined side-by-side, an exciting discovery was made: they were struck from the same reverse die! Hi everyone, Im concerned my 5 x 1oz Gold eagles could be fake I inherited these from my mother. Lastly, the letters all around the coin are much thinner than they should be, which you can clearly see on the “L” OF “LIBERTY.”. A Gold Eagle did not ring even a little bit, no matter how many times we tried it, even though other coins rang like a bell, proving we were using ringer correctly. Warning: Tungsten Counterfeit Gold Coins September 20, 2014 "We think we have even detected a fake coin with the Ringer. NGC is fortunate to be the preferred grading service for US gold coins of this type. They pass the ring test. Counterfeit Detection: Liberty Half Eagles Posted on 9/13/2016 These counterfeit gold coins were found unexpectedly among a group of US coins freshly returned from Europe. I have a fake and a real one side by side, including rims. This counterfeit was likely struck from false dies created completely from scratch using a genuine coin as a model. Counterfeit Proof American Eagle and American Buffalo 1-ounce gold $50 coins have been reported in Ohio encapsulated in fake Numismatic Guaranty Corp. plastic holders with counterfeit … Further, repeating depressions are visible on the shield at the center of reverse. Miss Liberty looks more like a zombie with her face on the counterfeit. NGC recently received a coin that was purportedly a 2014-W Proof Gold Eagle. Counterfeit 2014-W Proof Gold Eagle Reverse One issue that should be pointed out on the reverse, however, is that somehow the birds in the nest have … We will concentrate on simple. Immediately suspicious of its authenticity, it was set aside for further study. Discussion in 'Bullion Investing' started by julius, Jun 14, 2012. julius New Member. These odd details are due to the way in which the fake was produced. Checking the dimensions – diameter and thickness – against the known dimensions of the genuine coin is a … Depressions of this type are conclusive evidence that coins are counterfeit. The counterfeit’s fields are not quite as jet-black, and the frost on the devices is a lot weaker than on a genuine example. Take a look at the Capitol building on both coins. Please try again later. I am looking for tips on how to detect fake ASE and AGE coins. It isn’t necessary to go into as much detail here but there reverse is plagued by many of the same issues as the obverse, including weak details and narrow lettering. Were it not for the careful review required by NGC certification, these coins likely would never have been properly identify for generations more. Please refresh the page to confirm that you are signed in and then try again. All counterfeit. The toes are much more pronounced on the fake than they should be. Altered and Doctored Coins – These are coins that have been altered or tampered with. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Silver is one of the best conductors of thermal energy found … Although it is thicker than a legitimate specimen, it is lighter too. Consumers can be fleeced by dealers selling counterfeit coins that contain only a fraction of gold or silver content, for example, or by dealers who simply take buyers' money and don't deliver the coins. Sounds like gold, too compared to the known real one. These depressions were contact marks on a host coin which transferred to the die used to strike these coins. (1967-1990). Laws enacted to strengthen the economy during the Great Depression made it illegal for Americans and American corporations to possess monetary gold within the continental United States. 1798 Fantasy Dollar, 1796 Bust Dollar, 1802 Bust Dollar, & 1887-CC Morgan Dollar. Replica 1882 CC Gold Plate 20 Dollar Liberty Head Double Eagle 24k Gold Clad UNC gooddealsale.