Help On Authenticity Of Gothic Crown

raptorman14 Hello from the swamp.

First of all, the case was made for something other than this coin. It does lend an air of respectability to a limited degree to a non-collector, but for me the case only makes me more suspicious.

Second, as a member of the reviewing panel for ebay, I would let you know that I would without hesitation vote for the immediate removal of this coin from ebay. The coin is NOT genuine. That is my considered opinion.

The 1847 Gothic Crown is one of the best made of the recently made numismatic forgeries that appears routinely on ebay. As clues to the coin's nature are revealed on this and other forums - the newer copies "seem to get better" - corrections have been made - so I no longer give clues that are not already public information.

If as seller, you were to appeal the vote, I would ask ebay to make a ruling (that is already allowed in their rules but seldom used) that this coin be added to the list of coins that can ONLY be sold if certified and that we the EMRs can verify the certification through contact with the TPG. The 1847 Gothic Crown is becoming that much of a pain in the neck that I am of the opinion all RAW sales must stop.

Sorry I can not say precisely what I see here, but I see enough to be positive and to convince the managers.

You could try to get the coin certified first. PCGS, NGC and ANACS are the three acceptable to ebay. But even then we have actually terminated certified coins when the coin encased is known to be a forgery.

I would suggest that the coin be disposed of through another venue.

ok thanks for the info swamp,maybe I will look more into getting it checked out,that is the reason I did not want to list it without knowing for sure what it was.I will post more pics for you wonghinghi when I get home,as I am away from the coin at the moment.thanks guys.

Just a couple follow up questions. On the edge how many vertical seams are there? There is a very clear seam in the third picture of the edge down located after the S and before the rosette nearest ET. If the edge photos were in focus it would help. Looks like an auto-focus camera picking up and focusing on the background and not the edge.
Second question, was the coin polished with jewler's rouge? It appears so from the way the edge lettering looks.

I don't know if the coin is real or not but the way you are holding it for the photos is not the best. You can see your fingerprints on the surface in the second to last picture. You should hold the coin by the edge. That way it won't get all ugly and it will hold full value.

If you can get clear photos of the three seams it could help determine the exact method of manufacture.

The edge letters look good. I believe it is genuine.

The surface appearance is 100% consistent with modern high end counterfeits, which have become somewhat common especially on ebay. They are also often purposely wiped with cloth (like this coin) or slightly damaged to discourage buyers from sending them in for certification. Weight and material testing are useless here, as the fakes are correct in both aspects.

here are some pics of the vertical lines,having trouble getting good pics of it.