Chinese Counterfeits

The Australiasian Coin & Banknote Magazine, about a year ago, had a very informative article on faked Australian bronze coins that have originated in China.

They were die struck, and have to be examined against a known genuine equivalent coin for variations in design. A 10 x loupe very handy for this.

If you feel uneasy about a scarce or rare coin you have, take it to a reputable dealer who knows his stuff, or if that service is not available to you, post it to a leading dealer in Australia who will be able to give you a definitive opinion.

Same applies to U.S. coins, but your doubtful does not have to go on such an extensive travelling holiday.

I like to keep a good reference collection of fake coins, just to defend myself. Dealers most often do this as well.

When it comes to detection of die struck fake coins, there is no substite for comparison of a fake coin to a known genuine one in the hand.

For expensive coins, your only other reasonably reliable defence is to buy off an auctioneer or dealer with the highest reputation, with a long established business.

This sounds like great GENERAL advice, much like I would give to a stamp collector, but is there no SPECIFIC advice to screening U.S. wheats?

I think there are too many web sites to list to determine fakes on wheat cents. For the key dates, just search around and you'll find them. The 1914-D and 1909-S VDB have a ton of fakes out there, so you have to know what a real one looks like, before you even think of buying one. Buying a slabbed one from the top 3 TPGs is a great alternative.

Hi Larsdog,

Sorry if I was a bit vague with my previous post. I'm working at this problem from probably the same level as you if not a bit lower down on the skill tree.

What I'm saying is that you need to research everything about the coin you are looking at.
Diameter, thickness, weight, detail on obverse, reverse and rim, Everything.

This forum is a great resource for this info, as well as google.

The point is, it you know as much as you can about what details/specs a coin should have, then your chance of getting a fake are reduced.

One coin I need right now is a Centenary Florin, currently I'm looking at the design elements, and so far the few I've looked at, two have been "fake" I think. the design just was not what I though it should be.

I guess the point is, if ever the fakes get 100% detail and specs on a coin right, I don't think we have any way other than carbon dating to tell. A worrying thought that.

Cheers
Pete

Most unsettling! There are some fairly useful guidelines for identifying a vast majority of U.S. postage stamp fakes, depending on the issue.

What about weight? Are there any guidelines for weight? I have the published weight from the Red Book. How much variation is expected in mint samples? How much weight loss (percentage) in a heavily used coin?

I have a scale and a Red Book. My questions were:

1) What variation is expected in mint samples (I would think very little)
2) What percentage weight loss can be expected from heavy use? 5%?

I'm asking about a VERY specific group of coins (Wheats) and it seems that the best advice is to "read up" or become a specialist and create a collection of real coins and fakes. I don't WANT to be a specialist! I've been there and done that in a few areas of stamp collecting. It's interesting and rewarding, but coin collecting is a side hobby for me. I'm happy to "read up" on the subject, but what is the recommended source? Again, relating this to stamps (which I know far better than coins), if you asked me about Periodical stamps and were concerned about fakes I would tell you:
1) Check the perforations - all genuine stamps are perf 12. Most fakes are perf 11.
2) Look for clear letters of banknote name at bottom of PR1-PR7. Fakes will be blurry.
3) Look for "FALSCH" embedded in the design. Many fakes from Germany had an embedded word that means "FALSE" or "FAKE".
For more information on this topic, Doc. M. Pepper publishes 4 separate offerings:
a) The Regulars: A study of Regular Issues
b) The Facsimiles: A study of fakes, forgeries, and facsimiles (focus on facsimiles)
c) The Forgeries: A study of fakes, forgeries, and facsimiles (focus on forgeries)
d) The Proofs: A study of die proofs, plate proofs, and printings.

Can I at least get a suggestion for a reference book on Lincoln Wheats?

OK, fair enough. That makes sense. Thanks, Pete!

Can anyone suggest a good comprehensive guide to Wheats? Either a book or a web site. It would be nice to know what to look for. I have a 1943 steel penny that weighs OVER the specified weight. A good reference would tell me if that is normal (perhaps the amount of zinc coating varied by a few hundredths of a gram, or maybe somebody "re-coated" these things). I have a digital gram scale accurate to 0.1 grams, a magnet, and 4 loupes (10x, 20x, 30x, 60x). I just need to know what the "danger zone" is. Nobody would alter a $20 stamp to make a $25 fake. There is a $2 stamp that can be "processed" to appear as a $4500 stamp, but that deception is well know so I hardly ever see any offered. It is akin to the folks that "cut" the "S" mint mark off of any penny and "glue" it to a 1909 VDB. No reasonable person would pay top dollar for a 1909S VDB without checking it out.

However, the other early "S" mint varieties may be ripe for such a treatment, just as altering a $10 stamp to "create" a $50 stamp is common since getting a cert isn't hardly worth it - unless you KNOW these are commonly faked (and you care about what's in your collection). I just bought two early "S" mint wheats and plan to examine the mint mark VERY closely with the 60X loupe. Are there any books or web sites with additional guidelines/tips?