Are pillar dollars often counterfeited and if so, are there any dates known as faked?

gemini12398

I was offered one today from 1740 Mexico that looked too good to be true so I passed. Dark silver, heavy, but looked too good. Any thoughts?

gemini12398

ttt

coinkat

Yes

not sure of all the dates but invest in a scale and that will help

gemini12398

meaning what? that the fakes are not the correct weight?

wouldn't someone make good counterfeits on the correct weighted planchets?

coinkat

Meaning that fakes are often not the correct weight.

TwoKopeiki

My suggestion is not to invest large amount of money into the series that you're not familiar with (there are a few "unless"s, but doesn't sounds like those apply in your case). Pillars are heavily counterfeited and unless you know the design and the characteristics under which the series was minted (edging, specific gravity, etc), I would recommend sticking to already encapsulated pieces from the major TPG's.

zeebob

Great question. I was offered one at a coin show last Saturday in Sacramento. $400 or something. The owner said it was recovered from a wreck. The surface was pitted, but the strike was nice. The owner said it had sunk as BU and was recovered in the condition it was in on his table (the owner was a dealer). The thing was in a 2x2 flip and had a little card saying it was the genuine article. I clutched my wallet to my breast and ran to the next table.

TwoKopeiki

One thing I stay away from is salt water corrosion on my coins... Call me crazy

Ricke

These types are heavily counterfeit in any year. Weight is usually the first sign, but far from the last. Like Roman said, I wouldn't drop a lot of money on the series until you know more about it - unless it's a reputable dealer in the type. I've seen many fakes on tables at shows.



This is an image from an essay I'm currently working on. It shows some of the frequently flawed aspects to look for. I chose this example due to the crude strike, as it shows how certain aspects on authentic strikes can be inconsistent with better struck examples. Counterfeits usually vary in poor imitation... such as the edge, which is usually the worst aspect simulated, and the easiest to spot.

This is a smaller denomination, of course.

Dentuck

I would say the 1793 eight reales.