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My "Questionable Authenticity" Submission - 1909-S Indian

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Pillar of the Community
United States
3283 Posts
 Posted 01/19/2011  4:35 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add upstate to your friends list
So that's their way of saying it's not authentic - "questionable".
I'm not impressed.
Valued Member
United States
476 Posts
 Posted 01/19/2011  4:38 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add DylansDad to your friends list
This is from their definition on the website, was just looking for it: "Questionable Authenticity - Fee not refunded. The coin is either a known counterfeit or exhibits characteristics of known counterfeits and is therefore highly suspect. This category includes otherwise genuine coins which have been altered to simulate rarities (re-engraved dates, added mintmarks, removed mintmarks, etc.)"
Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts
 Posted 01/19/2011  4:47 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add DVCollector to your friends list

Quote:
Edited to add: the hole in the side is where the electrode was attached.
Interesting...I had not heard of that for just a mintmark. People are sure resourceful making that buck.
Pillar of the Community
United States
3283 Posts
 Posted 01/19/2011  5:02 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add upstate to your friends list

Quote:
This is from their definition on the website, was just looking for it: "Questionable Authenticity - Fee not refunded. The coin is either a known counterfeit or exhibits characteristics of known counterfeits and is therefore highly suspect. This category includes otherwise genuine coins which have been altered to simulate rarities (re-engraved dates, added mintmarks, removed mintmarks, etc.)"




Well I guess it's not so bad since they define it.
I still don't like the semantics though.
Pillar of the Community
United States
8904 Posts
 Posted 01/19/2011  5:38 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Moe145 to your friends list
Wow. That is a very good fake.

It kind of makes me a little sick to my stomach...
Valued Member
United States
476 Posts
 Posted 01/19/2011  5:40 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add DylansDad to your friends list

Quote:
Wow. That is a very good fake.

It kind of makes me a little sick to my stomach...

What will really make you sick is the fact that this was in my Dad's collection for nearly 40 years...ie. they were that good that long ago.
Pillar of the Community
United States
1081 Posts
 Posted 01/19/2011  9:05 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add DavidZerbato to your friends list

Quote:
I thought one of the major functions of PCGS is to determine authenticity, not tell you it might be fake.
This blows my mind. They're all questionable authenticity until you send them in and you find out for sure.
I thought these guy's were the elite of coin graders?


"Questionable" essentially means fake. It helps avoid liability but also is useful for coins that actually may be real, but exhibit some sort of characteristic that they can't 100% guarantee. It's so hard to say for some coins that it is 100% fake, it leaves a little wiggle room. I would say PCGS is an elite grader though b/c they did catch this. It should be some comfort that they were able to identify this as not being genuine. I would be much more pessimistic if it was in a genuine holder.
Pillar of the Community
United States
4085 Posts
 Posted 01/19/2011  9:40 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add KenKat to your friends list
I guess the problem is that they assign a code rather than give you a more detailed analysis specific to the coin submitted. I understand why they do that from a liability standpoint, but not from a coin standpoint. If my coin were rejected, I wouldn't want to be wondering why.

And sorry about your Dad's coin. That just stinks.
Valued Member
United States
476 Posts
 Posted 01/19/2011  10:01 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add DylansDad to your friends list
BTW - with questionable authenticity, it comes back raw not in a slab...of course I wouldn't have the cool edge shots that Rick identified as the electrode connections if it were in a slab either.
Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts
 Posted 01/20/2011  11:43 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Conder101 to your friends list
That is a better than average mintmark. However besides being in the wrong position (Thanks DVCollector for the pictures of the two correct positions), it is also the wrong shape. It's close but not quite there. Look closely at the shape of the insides of the two loops. They do not match the shape of the inside of the loops of the genuine pieces.

As to the "hole" on the edge of the coin, if they made an embossed mintmark from there the reverse must have a heck of a rotation. Electrode connection points I could believe.
Edited by Conder101
01/20/2011 11:45 am
Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts
 Posted 01/20/2011  2:05 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add DVCollector to your friends list

Quote:
Look closely at the shape of the insides of the two loops. They do not match the shape of the inside of the loops of the genuine pieces.
Now I see that--especially the top loop; it's far too closed

Quote:
if they made an embossed mintmark from there the reverse must have a heck of a rotation
Honestly, I was baffled by that, but did not consider the electrode process. Collectors owe it to experts who help them spot these fakes.
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United States
16679 Posts
 Posted 01/20/2011  2:49 pm  Show Profile   Check vermontensium's eBay Listings Check vermontensium's eCrater Listings Bookmark this reply Add vermontensium to your friends list
That is a fantastic fake MM. If the counterfeiter would have placed it a little higher up, he may have gotten away with it. I'm sure it fooled many people before Rick Snow and PCGS saw it.
I also believe the rim metal was used for that purpose.
swcoin.ecrater.com
Pillar of the Community
United States
880 Posts
 Posted 01/25/2011  4:40 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add lukkyseven to your friends list
PCGS mind as well lable it fake. I don't think many people would be interested in buying it with that lable.
Valued Member
United States
183 Posts
 Posted 01/25/2011  10:20 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add SilverFossil64 to your friends list
Wow. I don't see how the average collector would ever have spotted that as a fake. Would make me worried about buying any high value coins without getting some extra opinions first...I guess that's one of the reasons slabbed coins from reputable TPG often fetch premiums...
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 Posted 01/25/2011  10:40 pm  Show Profile   Check vermontensium's eBay Listings Check vermontensium's eCrater Listings Bookmark this reply Add vermontensium to your friends list
Lukkyseven, PCGS will not label it anything. They will send it back to him "Not Genuine".
swcoin.ecrater.com
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