1902 S Barber Dime Possible Counterfeit?

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Author	Replies: 4 / Views: 194
CharPDX214 Valued Member United States 127 Posts	Posted 08/30/2026 4:02 pm * Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. * Good afternoon all, I have today a Barber dime that I believe to be counterfeit but would like the coin communtities input. I hope I am posting this in the correct forum. The first clue is the weight which is 2.271g the other clue is the numbers for the date are skinnier then the other 1902 example I have which have fatter numbers and the weight is 2.447g on the other example. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! Edited by CharPDX214 08/30/2026 4:04 pm Report this Post to the Staff

halfamind Pillar of the Community United States 1532 Posts	Posted 08/30/2026 9:12 pm Hard to tell without further analysis. 2.27 g is a bit light. Thin planchet? It does appear to be a weak strike in some areas. The thicker date on the other example could be circulation flattening. Report this Post to the Staff
jbuck Moderator United States 194073 Posts	Posted Yesterday 11:27 am Interesting. Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
CharPDX214 Valued Member United States 127 Posts	Posted Today 7H 14M ago The coin with the S mint mark is in question. Here are a couple more photos to help us figure this out. The coin in question is sandwiched in the middle of 2 other Barber dimes. Thank you for your help! Report this Post to the Staff
fortcollins Pillar of the Community United States 3715 Posts	Posted Today 55M ago Contemporary counterfeit Barber dimes exist, but aren't terribly common. Your coin is outside mint tolerances, but that could be the result of being buried in the ground, exposure to acid, harsh cleaning, or other factors. The cast Barber dime counterfeits are usually lead-based, very crude, are pitted and lumpy, and easily scratched. The transfer die struck Barber dime counterfeits are very weak on the design details and are typically silver-washed (jewelry plated) brass. They usually used costume jewelry based brass alloys. The silver wash wore off quickly and the brass is usually visible on those. The photos are a bit out of focus, but your coin looks like it has plenty of design detail. A specific gravity test would give the answer. US coin silver should have a specific gravity of about 10.31. Report this Post to the Staff
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