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10 Most Common Counterfieted US Coins according to NGC

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  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,682 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It's an interesting list, but I dare say that in recent times counterfeit Morgan Dollars from China have to be the most common fake coins. Many of those pieces are duplicates of common dates in circulated condition that are intended to fool novice and non collectors. As such their unfortunate owners never consider submitting them for authentication. Therefore they didn't make the list.

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The Chinese are also producing many fake trade dollars.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Certainly an informative list. However, as pointed out above, the flood of counterfeits from China (Morgans and Trade dollars) likely exceeds the listed coins. Just watching the posts here about fakes on ebay, substantiates that premise....and a quick internet search shows many more sources. Cheers, RickO

  • Insider2Insider2 Posts: 14,452 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I disagree with some of this list. However, you all need to realize that crude fake coins from China are VERY SELDOM sent to NGC! That's why they are not on the list.

    The reason they see so many $2 1/2 Indians is because most dealers are not very good authenticators! Of course, none of you are in that group.

  • TommyTypeTommyType Posts: 4,586 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Doesn't pertain to the OP list....But saw this in the shared orders list, and can't help myself:

    Why? Is the term "counterfeit" being used for manufactured errors, maybe?

    Just goes to show....nothing is safe.....

    Easily distracted Type Collector
  • WeissWeiss Posts: 9,942 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I agree about morgans and trade dollars being way at the top. The list is interesting, though, in that nearly half of it are $2.5 Indians.

    We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the last letter but one, and a sword in the last.
    --Severian the Lame
  • BuffaloIronTailBuffaloIronTail Posts: 7,543 ✭✭✭✭✭

    You have to also watch for embossed mintmarks. Very deceptive. Always check the edge of coins for tooling marks.

    Buffalo Nickels are well known for this forgery.

    Pete

    "I tell them there's no problems.....only solutions" - John Lennon
  • JimnightJimnight Posts: 10,846 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2, 2017 5:27PM

    .

  • tommy44tommy44 Posts: 2,312 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The only counterfeit US gold coin I ever purchased out of hundreds was a 1908-D $5 Indian, my only $5 Indian by the way. I purchased it back in the 70s for $67.00 and rejected by NGC a couple of years ago. Good news is it was gold and I sold it to a precious metal dealer for $300.00.

    Since a lot (as in most) of the better coins in my collection were purchased before TPG became popular I guess I beat the odds on all my other US including my 1922 plain and 1909-S VDB cents.

    it's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide

  • Insider2Insider2 Posts: 14,452 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @BuffaloIronTail said:
    You have to also watch for embossed mintmarks. Very deceptive. Always check the edge of coins for tooling marks.

    Buffalo Nickels are well known for this forgery.

    Pete

    Decades ago, before these alterations were published by the ANA, I missed the first embossed mintmark nickel coin I ever saw. Since then, I can count on one hand the number I have seen. I've seen more Morgan dollar alterations of this type since then. I look at a lot of coins on a daily basis. I have not seen any embossed alterations in almost fifteen years. I've been looking for one to photograph. While extremely deceptive to the unwary, I think the TPGS have driven them off the market and into old collections.

  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,631 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Insider2 said:

    @BuffaloIronTail said:
    You have to also watch for embossed mintmarks. Very deceptive. Always check the edge of coins for tooling marks.

    Buffalo Nickels are well known for this forgery.

    Pete

    Decades ago, before these alterations were published by the ANA, I missed the first embossed mintmark nickel coin I ever saw. Since then, I can count on one hand the number I have seen. I've seen more Morgan dollar alterations of this type since then. I look at a lot of coins on a daily basis. I have not seen any embossed alterations in almost fifteen years. I've been looking for one to photograph. While extremely deceptive to the unwary, I think the TPGS have driven them off the market and into old collections.

    This. The original faker got away with murder because nobody thought to look at the edges until the fakes were exposed.

    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • Insider2Insider2 Posts: 14,452 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @CaptHenway said:

    @Insider2 said:

    @BuffaloIronTail said:
    You have to also watch for embossed mintmarks. Very deceptive. Always check the edge of coins for tooling marks.

    Buffalo Nickels are well known for this forgery.

    Pete

    Decades ago, before these alterations were published by the ANA, I missed the first embossed mintmark nickel coin I ever saw. Since then, I can count on one hand the number I have seen. I've seen more Morgan dollar alterations of this type since then. I look at a lot of coins on a daily basis. I have not seen any embossed alterations in almost fifteen years. I've been looking for one to photograph. While extremely deceptive to the unwary, I think the TPGS have driven them off the market and into old collections.

    This. The original faker got away with murder because nobody thought to look at the edges until the fakes were exposed.

    AFAIK, Norm Talbert, discovered these and alerted ANACS. I'll bet you were at ANACS then Capt. :)

  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 34,401 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 23, 2017 4:06PM

    @Insider2 said:
    I disagree with some of this list. However, you all need to realize that crude fake coins from China are VERY SELDOM sent to NGC! That's why they are not on the list.

    Many of these come in fake TPG slabs already ;)

    The reason they see so many $2 1/2 Indians is because most dealers are not very good authenticators! Of course, none of you are in that group.

    These continue to fool the most people. Something to be said about the workmanship.

  • CascadeChrisCascadeChris Posts: 2,526 ✭✭✭✭✭

    No 93s... or 89cc morgan?

    The more you VAM..
  • morgansforevermorgansforever Posts: 8,466 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @CascadeChris said:
    No 93s... or 89cc morgan?

    Or 79CC, 85CC, 92CC, 93CC, 92S, 95S and can you believe I've seen counterfeit 83CC's. No surprise the 09S VDB was #1 and the 16D dime was #2.

    World coins FSHO Hundreds of successful BST transactions U.S. coins FSHO
  • keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I wouldn't think the list as posted by NGC represents what counterfeits are really out there. it is most likely a list based on what has been submitted to them.

  • cameonut2011cameonut2011 Posts: 10,181 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @CascadeChris said:
    No 93s... or 89cc morgan?

    That is surprising.

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