How do you know coin is real?

GottaGetCoins

For a newbie like me, if Im bvuying raw, how can one determine if the coin is real.

Im much less concerned about grade since I will judge that on my own eye appeal, more concerned with a complete fake.

Any advice?

kranky

By "real", do you mean not only a genuine US Mint product, but not altered, cleaned, whizzed, tooled, fake mintmark added, artifically toned, etc.? The coins which generally get played with are expensive ones.

If that's what you meant, then I would respectfully suggest you don't buy raw coins until you can tell what a whizzed coin is, or a tooled coin, etc. Knowing what can be done to a coin and how it's performed is no substitute for knowing what it looks like.

On the other hand, cheap raw coins aren't likely to be played with.

GottaGetCoins

Sounds like some good advice thanks!

Stuart

GottaGetCoins: The only way to tell a real coin from a fake is experience. Either you have to learn for yourself, or find a dealer whom you can trust to verify that the raw coins you purchase are real.

Otherwise, you can purchase certified coins with a grading service buy-back guarantee. While at some coin shows, sometimes there will be third party grading services like ANACS who will give complimentary verbal coin grading and authentication opinions during the show. Good luck!

braddick

<< <i>For a newbie like me, if Im bvuying raw, how can one determine if the coin is real. Im much less concerned about grade since I will judge that on my own eye appeal, more concerned with a complete fake. Any advice? >>

Flip it into the air. If it cries out, "I want my mommie!!", it's real.

dollardude

Good question. Personally, I collect silver dollars. Some I purchased raw, so I bought several reference books. On some of the more rare ones, there are die characteristics specific to each date and mintmark. For example, on the 1893-S Morgan silver dollar, only a single pair of dies was used to strike all of the coins (very unusual, but makes it easy to identify), and here are the resulting characteristics of this pair of dies:

1. "3" slightly raised.
2. Die crack in "T".
3. "1" over 1 denticle.
4. "3" between 2 denticles.
5. "S" between 2 denticles.

There are a lot of counterfeits out there on key date coins, like the 1893-S Morgan, 1916-D Mercury, 1909-S VDB Lincoln, etc., so you have to either have it certified by a reputable company and/or verify the characteristics for yourself (I recommend BOTH).

mozeppa

<< <i>For a newbie like me, if Im bvuying raw, how can one determine if the coin is real.

Im much less concerned about grade since I will judge that on my own eye appeal, more concerned with a complete fake.

Any advice? >>





research my boy...research!

nwcs

A good resource is the video of detecting counterfeit and altered coins. The ANA sells it. Excellent video. About 3 hours and covers general concepts as well as specific often-altered/faked coins. Well worth it.

LALASD4

Very good question. I have been thinking about this a long time myself.

Even the new $20 bill got counterfeited a week after it is release, how can we be sure that any coin is REAL ?

With enough resources, anything (coins included) could be reproduce.

relayer

Try spending it at 7-11. If the cashier accepts it, then it is real