1882 $3 Gold - Real or Fake?
Hi folks,
I am trying to improve at detecting genuine versus counterfeit coins. These gold pieces are often quite difficult for me. Is this piece genuine or fake? It has some scratches and was likely cleaned but I am only concerned about authenticity.


Thanks for your time.
I am trying to improve at detecting genuine versus counterfeit coins. These gold pieces are often quite difficult for me. Is this piece genuine or fake? It has some scratches and was likely cleaned but I am only concerned about authenticity.


Thanks for your time.
0
Comments
I'm in the real camp.
+1
Take a look at the 1889 CC and tell me what you think about it too.
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
Can you post a couple of clear and greatly magnified pictures of the inside of the R in AMERICA?
Yup. The Omegaman counterfeits of this date has a tiny Greek letter omega inside the loop of the R in LIBERTY.
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
(although, I'm still curious to see what's going on in the other R, too )
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
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R.I.P. Bear
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
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Here is the problem: These days without seeing a magnified image of the surface it is useless to guess from a photo. This is what I wish to see: At 6 o'clock under the bow, many older c/f's had a "j" shaped depression. If you look at the OP's coin the "top" of that mark is visible as a horizontal scratch. If we rotate the coin in the light and take another photo - hopefully the stem of the "J" will not become visible! If it does, the coin is counterfeit.
Also, photo the coin using florescent light. That is the ONLY type of light used by U.S. Mint authenticators! It removes ALL the glare in the photo and allows professionals to view its surface.
i have no opinion but does look to exhibit a couple diags from the u.s.g.c.d.g. 2005 pg.107.
perhaps the host coin was from these dies since not all the diags appear to be on this example.
the 1889 cc seems ok from those small scans. fwiw
most of the cc fakes arent circ that low. it would most likely be an altered genuine coin in that condition.
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Is the reeding even and slightly rounded? Also, if you have other raw gold simply laying the coin with others will often reveal a slight color difference. It is "said", an expert (real expert) can pick out most counterfeits from five feet away.
This was true at one time but todays counterfeit is much better made and requires a stereo microscope to unmask.
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
Real but polished
.......and very heavily scratched.
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
bargain price. If it were me, I would look for a better specimen. Cheers, RickO
Is the reeding even and slightly rounded? Also, if you have other raw gold simply laying the coin with others will often reveal a slight color difference. It is "said", an expert (real expert) can pick out most counterfeits from five feet away.
This was true at one time but todays counterfeit is much better made and requires a stereo microscope to unmask.
I think a greater quantity of good fakes were made decades ago rather than today. Except the Chinese but they don't seem to target gold...and ate usually obvious