1873 Silver Liberty Seated Dollar?

Another thing is that when I "flip" the coin over to the back, it's upside down instead of right side up.

BH1964 got it right. Obvious fake, said it out loud before I scrolled to read other comments. Non-existent variety (arrows), casting on the rim, obvious 'soft' details on the strike in a way not seen from a warn die but a fake casting. Motto ribbon is almost gone, field below the eagle has major problems.....list could go on.

Sorry for bad news. Make sure to educate all you can though.

Sorry, definitely fake.

I'd keep it. Even the fakes are kinda cool, just don't let anyone be fooled by it. Mark the holder appropriately.

Please don't trash it. Weigh it and put that number on a 2x2. Use it to educate fellow collectors, take it to club meetings, write about it, whatever. I bought a cheap one, myself, simply to do these things. Collectors need to be more wary in today's market, and such hands-on learning is one way to wave the checkered flag.

well, at least now you can say you have a coin from china in your collection !

One easy check that will catch the really bad fakes like this is simply to look up the coin in your RedBook. If it isn't listed in there assume it doesn't exist. Sure, there are certain error coins not in that book (although a bunch are), but if it was a regular issue it will be there.

That is only step one in identifying a fake, but it is a good start.

Saruma makes a good point about checking the RedBook. While the overwhelming majority of these fakes that I've seen have fallen within the date range of regular issue coins, a small percentage does not. One such example that I bought for $3 in order to educate fellow collectors in my area is an 1879-S " Trade dollar" - a non-existent date.

While I concur in principle with the thought of staying away from these counterfeits, the reality is that they are everywhere. Isn't it more practical to educate our fellow collectors? Coin clubs everywhere need to periodically devote some time and discussion to this problem within our hobby, passing around examples at meetings in the process.

Getting back to the point Saruma made, I often have an older copy in my car for reference when traveling. The Chinese counterfeits are more likely to be encountered, touted as genuine, in flea markets and antique malls.