Counterfeit 1911 Barber Dime- Modern Or Contemporary Fake?

Here are some additional pictures, if these help at all. The other dime in several of the images is a 1911 Barber dime as well. In the side-on picture with the camera case in the background, the dime in question is noticeably thicker than the genuine 1911 dime. However, the diameter of both is identical, and they stack on top of each other perfectly.

Thanks for looking at it. I was honestly going more by the look and feel of the coin than anything else; it just seemed to be a bit too uniformly worn/ damaged. In-hand, the "crudeness" of the coin seems to be resultant more from a poor alloy/ alloy mix, rather than from environmental effects. I could certainly be wrong, though!

Regrettably, I do not have access to any specialized equipment. However, with regard to the ring test, I have tried to get the coin to make silver's characteristic "ping," but all I've been able to get out of it is a dull "thud." If the coin is truly silver, it's as if it's inner structure is compromised, or riddled with holes. Or, the coin could be some other metal. I honestly don't know; I'll probably see what it looks like under magnification.

The other problem was the weight difference. Do you know if it's possible for a full 20% (0.50 grams) of the dime's weight to leach away underground?

I'll go with it being a contemporary forgery. I have a similar mushy-detailed French 2 franc brass forgery. It was no doubt sharper looking before it lost its plating.





Forgery of small coins was common in France. I think that it was easier to get small coins to pass into circulation. Here's an American example, an 1861 plated dime with the silver partially worn off.

https://southcarolina1670.wordpress...-the-effort/

I think there is a fairly good chance it is a contemporary counterfeit. Notice in the side by side images the coin in question is significantly less worn and is thicker than the genuine coin yet is 20% underweight. (Out of curiosity it would be good to know what the well worn genuine coin weighs.)

A specific gravity test would be the clincher.

Thanks for looking at it. I definitely thought the "mushiness" was one indication of that, since it doesn't really have the look of a coin that was ever "whole" at some point in its life (as in, no area of the coin appears to have been struck cleanly, nor with any sufficient amount of force). Worn silver coins have a certain "look" to them, but this one seems as if it's always been of rather poor quality.

Yes, it likely was. Heck, if it does turn out to be a forgery, my picking it up out of a junk silver box can serve as one more indication of its success in that respect! Granted, it's not the same thing as circulation, but it's pretty close. :)




Thank you for the assessment. The coin's relative thickness in comparison to its weight was one thing that caught my attention as I was comparing it to the other 1911 dime, which is why I thought a picture of them resting side-by-side might prove useful.

In answer to your question, the thinner, genuine 1911 dime weighs 2.23 grams.

With regard to a specific gravity test, unfortunately I don't believe I have a beaker or other container with that precise of measurements on its side.




What initially made me curious about this coin is essentially that: namely, that it isn't at all recognizable as silver (if it is silver). Yes, the coin is worn out and rather pitted, but it doesn't have the look of corroded or tarnished silver. Nor does it sound like silver when it's set on top of other silver dimes. The coin looks more like one of those cheap museum replicas that you can pick up in gift shops, although I doubt it would have been worthwhile for anyone to counterfeit this coin in recent times.

Probably not worth it? - Send it to me with $20 plus $10 P&H and I will do a XRF (SEM/EDS) on the specimen if you want. The only reason - it intrigues me a bit - its THICKNESS.

Normal charges are $75 minimally plus P&H. Your move ... contact me privately if interested.

JPL

John Lorenzo
Numismatist
United States

I agree if we assume:

a = money spent on the dime
b = cost of analysis
c= value knowing the alloy of this early 20th CCC (not Chinese IMO)

a+b > c

IMO

JPL

Dug silver usually doesn't look this bad.