1908 2 1/2 D. Gold Ring. Am I stupid for wearing this as it could have been a special 1908 coin ?
Watchbelieve
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It was minty and it was passed down to me by my father and I have been wearing it for the past 6 months. I am in New York and the new Rivers Casino opened up and you can't keep me away from no-limit hold em'. Anyways the chips and tables get dirty so I wash my hands every couple hours while playing. I've kept the ring on and it looks like it might have started slightly molding on the reverse from the moisture of washing my hands I'm assuming. What can I do without ruining this? Does it matter? Is this ruined now that they made a ring out of it anyways. Does this look like an original from the early 1900's meaning the ring itself? My father didn't make it into a ring, someone pawned it for cash 50 years ago when he ran a coin shop. Lastly does this coin show dramatic doubling on the L and left upper stars on the obverse? Every time it's MD so I'm sure this is a fail too. 
Comments
I think more images are needed to make a solid determination
While on the topic of poker...
It's a jewelry piece, its been beat almost to death. I like it, I'd just keep it cleaned up and enjoy wearing it as it is.
I am not an expert on dating jewelry, but so far as the coin is concerned, I'd enjoy the ring if it really makes you happy. The coin probably already has some edge issues because of the ring and the mount. You would have to tear up the ring to find out, and I don't think it's worth doing that.
In my opinion, it's a counterfeit. No 1908 has that kind of detail on the eagle's wing. It was the first year of mintage and they had not added the details yet.
Look through every picture in coinfacts. Your coin has better wing details on the eagle than every single one, even MS66 ones. Every time I've seen a 1908 with this kind of wing details, it's a counterfeit. Here is a MS66 example to compare.
A better picture of the Indian's neck would be telling - it looks like the tooling marks that appear on most fakes are there in a few of the pictures.
What is now proved was once only imagined. - William Blake
Any other thoughts on this one?
Could well be fake.... If not, it is already damaged from mounting and wear, the crud inside can be removed with acetone. Send it to someone (i.e. jwitten) for an in hand evaluation.... Cheers, RickO
Don't think you lost anything putting it in the ring. Wear it and enjoy it.
I don't think that the coin is a counterfeit. The wing detail issue on the 1908 quarter eagle was at the top of the wing, not down the wing. Here are two examples.
The details in the middle part of the ring coin are still MUCH crisper than the two you posted. I stand by my opinion that it is a fake.
I like the Internal Revenue Playing Cards stamp.
Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association