Still need a few Peruvian Un Sol coins

earlwbollinger

I was perusing my collection of Peruvian Un Sol coins, which are equal to our US Morgan Dollars.
I found I only need the following coins now.
1873, 1876(may not really exist), 1879, 1881, 1885
If any of you happen to have one of these and want to part with it, please let me know.
Thanks
I have a example of all of the others in this series.

1jester

Sorry I can't help you with this magnificent series, Earl.

Just an aside, however, I was wondering how many of the coins in this series are counterfeits. I've seen a few.

farthing

I have a 1873 LD as well as a 1865/55 YB tucked away here somewhere according to my spreadsheet.

earlwbollinger

Honestly, I haven't encountered a fake one yet. So I am not sure if any are around.
The fakes seem to be in the same category as the US Trade Dollars, very easy to spot, once you know what to look for.
The Un Sols are all very detailed, complicated, highly artistic coins that make fakes easier to spot.
The electrotypes would lose all the detail, and the cast coins would obviously stand out.
I think someone trying to make a fake would try and fake the 1876, as it is the purported rare one. But no one really knows if a 1876 even exists. It has only been reported that one or some exist. Some others in this series are harder to find or scarce as well, probably for the same or similar reasons that some of the Morgan Dollars are too.
A bunch (thousands, millions) wound up in Centra America, where they were counterstamped for use within several countries there. These never seemed to have taken hold as trade coins in China, so I don't think they got copied much in China.

But a great many of these magnificent coins have been cleaned and or dipped. So one needs to decide whether to obtain or pass in those cases. I suspect the cleaning dipping bunch use these to practice on.

earlwbollinger

I researched the fake un sols some more and it seems the fake ones are all the little modern brass, aluminum or whatever they are made of nowadays.
It is very common now in Peru to wind up getting fake sol coins and fake currency. So one has to be real careful.
Fortunately the fake ones are easy to spot if you take the time to look at them carefully.
Like usual, the fake coins are poor quality and stick out readily on sight.
There are even some el-cheapo fakes where they glue on a piece of plactic onto the coin making it look like a higher value coin. Fake currency has really gone crazy, now all the people check the money carefully and only accept new undamaged bills only. The slightest wear and the bill is rejected.

So I think we are still reasonably safe from fake old silver crown un sols for the time being.
But I'll keep a eye open to see if I spot any at the coin shows and such.