Counterfeit Detection: 1872 Seated Liberty Silver Dollar

NGC - Rough texture and minuscule raised dots within the recesses are clues that this 1872 Seated Liberty dollar is a counterfeit.

The 1872 Seated Liberty dollar had the highest mintage of any coin in the series, with just over 1.1 million pieces struck. Most appear to have reached circulation, and while low-grade examples are fairly common, higher-grade specimens are quite elusive.

According to the NGC US Coin Price Guide, an NGC AU 50 example trades for nearly $1,000. Low Mint State examples can easily sell for several thousand dollars, and Gem pieces are virtually impossible to find.

Counterfeit 1872 dollars are not seen regularly, but NGC graders did identify one such fake several months ago. This piece is of average quality and was almost certainly imported from China in the last decade.

Overall, the design details appear softer than normal, particularly on the reverse. More specifically, the eagle and legends have a rough texture with minuscule raised dots within the recesses. There are also a few thin raised lines on the reverse. For example, raised lines can be found between the "I" and "N" of IN and above the "O" in GOD.

Check out 1872 Seated Liberty Silver Dollars on ebay

Counterfeit 1872 Seated Liberty Dollar

Raised dots, lumps, and lines are virtually never seen on genuine pieces but are frequently encountered on forgeries. As a result, counterfeiters will often attempt to disguise these diagnostics, and this specimen has been purposely abraded. In addition to obscuring raised dots and lines, the abrasions have the added effect of making the coin appear circulated. Many numismatists automatically assume that a circulated coin cannot be fake.

Read More: Counterfeit Detection Series

Check out 1872 Seated Liberty Silver Dollars on ebay