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Posted 12/04/2014 04:17 am
I can't see anything wrong with this coin from the pictures provided. (style looks OK in this case but lots of fakes are picked this way).
So how do you pick an excellent but suspicious fake?
1. XRF test
2. style (see above)
3. weight
4. cross check for identical coins on the forgery sites
5. unknown obverse / reverse combination
6. check the edge closely with a loupe for evidence of a join
7. check for a verifiable provenance, not just the seller's explanation
8. check the radial flan cracks around the edge of the coin; cast coins cannot accurately reproduce inside the cracks for obvious signs of metal distress inside the crack area
9. buy from a dealer of the highest experience and reputation, who has a vested interest to protect that reputation, and who has the professional staff to back it up.
That is why I suggested XRF testing. In this case, it would be the most telling and rigorous although points 7 and 9 should always be followed for high value coins.
So how do you pick an excellent but suspicious fake?
1. XRF test
2. style (see above)
3. weight
4. cross check for identical coins on the forgery sites
5. unknown obverse / reverse combination
6. check the edge closely with a loupe for evidence of a join
7. check for a verifiable provenance, not just the seller's explanation
8. check the radial flan cracks around the edge of the coin; cast coins cannot accurately reproduce inside the cracks for obvious signs of metal distress inside the crack area
9. buy from a dealer of the highest experience and reputation, who has a vested interest to protect that reputation, and who has the professional staff to back it up.
That is why I suggested XRF testing. In this case, it would be the most telling and rigorous although points 7 and 9 should always be followed for high value coins.
