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 Replies: 32 / Views: 4,145 |
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New Member
United States
32 Posts |
hey guy this is my first post .... ive had this for awhile and just now started to look into it... to me everything looks legit. almost to legit. the mint mark is slightly oval (O) but I'm not sure if its a reproduction or even if its real gold for that matter and I have no way of testing it besides acid and I'm not gonna do that. anything I should look for to help authenticate this coin ?    |
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New Member
 United States
32 Posts |
heres a few more pics ... I weighed it and get between 8.3-8-4 grams with my digital scale... tomorrow I will try measuring it with a caliper or something. I know they can match the weight with fakes but not the size due to golds density...   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9395 Posts |
A coin this rare and expensive should probably be certified. I doubt many buyers would consider buying it raw.
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New Member
United States
32 Posts |
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New Member
United States
32 Posts |
i guess theres not much advice anybody can offer without first seeing the mint mark or certification but I though maybe there was some trouble shooting I could do prior
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7614 Posts |
Spend 30$ and send it to ANACS for a quick (about a two week period from sending to return) certification and grading. Might as well get it done cause the suspense just gets more intense as time goes on.
Besides, to sell it it will need to be certified anyway. Once you get it in a holder you can post it back here and see if the forum members think it will upgrade at PCGS or NGC.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10982 Posts |
 Looks like a genuine half eagle. Hold it by the rims and please do not grip it between your fingers again. Size and weight appear to be okay by the pics. You did comment: Quote:
I know they can match the weight with fakes but not the size due to golds density... Realize good fakes are made with real gold alloys and can easily match size and weight perfectly. Fakes usually have other noticeable flaws though. "O" mintmark pieces are out there and some close-ups of the O will help. Good luck. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3210 Posts |
Bring it to a known coin dealer who will be honest with you and go from there. If they think it's legit and worth submitting to either Anacs, pcgs, or ngc then do send it in. If this coin is real it's worth thousands of dollars
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
A TPG'er will grade it using a 10x loupe, but I wouldn't mind betting that they will authenticate the mint mark by examining that detail with a 20x loupe. Pictures here not detailed enough for us here to pass a good opinion on the mm. A coin valued at $2,000+ if genuine is almost certaily going to be faked using .900 gold for the planchet. Acid testing and getting a .900 result will be inconclusive for authenticity. I am not a fan of TPG, but the case to send this one away is a 'no brainer'. |
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Welcome to Coin Community, bravo30. We could be walking distance from each other; I'm in Port Richmond.
This is the Key Date to the series, the lowest mintage example. It's tough to come up with a grade based on these images, but the value of your coin could reach into five figures if it's authenticated and graded in the Almost Uncirculated range which seems possible.
I'm going to do some looking around to see if I can find you someone in town to do an XRF analysis to determine the alloy. Off the top of my head I can't think of a dealer here whom I'd trust with authentication, but I'll look that way too.
I'll be back in touch with this thread after work.
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New Member
United States
32 Posts |
i just want to thank everybody for their comments. this is a tough situation to be in for a novice so a place like this is greatly appreciated and I hope in the future I can return the favor.
for now I am going to look into sending it in to be graded. ANACS seems to be a reputable place
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
You've come to the right place. Unlike other numismatic forums, we specifically cater to the newer and younger numismatists of the world; it's our mission to nurture and teach. I can barely see the mint mark in your images, but that's not alarming for this issue. Many of the Indian Gold series had very faint mint marks, and their location near the rim led them to be among the first details on the coin to show wear. All the same, of course, we're not in a position to offer very well-thought-out opinion based on the current small images. Expect the outside of the mint mark to be near-circular, but the inside will be decidedly oval. I've never dealt with the folks, but Sansom Coin Exchange (721 Sansom, in Jewelry Row) appears to be a group who might be able to speak with experience regarding your coin's authenticity. I would further expect them (or someone else in Jewelry Row) to have the X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer which can determine the specific alloy in non-intrusive fashion. If you would like, I'd be happy to meet you outside at some prearranged time (work allowing) so you wouldn't walk in completely helpless, so to speak. This coin is beyond my means, so I have absolutely no financial interest in it. And had I any interest in taking advantage, Bobby, CCF's co-founder, is a personal friend who knows exactly where I live because he helped me move here, and I seriously doubt I can take him.  I need to check their operation out, anyway. |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
Any bullion dealer who is worth his salt and deals in over the counter physical should have XRF testing equipment. For a business the equipment is not expensive to buy. Fees for testing should be relatively cheap if they would do the test for you.
XRF only looks at the surface layer of the coin.
There remains the possibility that it may be a fake, made from .900 gold, recovered from other U.S. gold coins.
If that is the case, proving .900 fine for the coin under examination could still be inconclusive for authenticity.
Almost all U.S. gold coins have been faked, and the good quality fakes of rare gold in .900 gold.
It really needs the examination by an expert who knows what he is looking for.
SsuperDdave: Perhaps you could help provide an opinion yourself.
Edited by sel_69l
05/14/2015 08:05 am
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New Member
United States
32 Posts |
Dave, I'm over in Overbrook so your about 15-20mins from me. I could stop over so you could have a look sometime. I work a lot but mostly free in the evenings
Edited by bravo30
05/14/2015 10:51 am
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New Member
United States
32 Posts |
i finally got around to taking it to a coin dealer. The dealer thinks its a genuine circualted 1909-O and graded it with in VF-XF range with no damage an possibly 1 issue/mark. I realize I still have to send it out to be graded but I figured id take it to somebody before I went there......
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New Member
United States
32 Posts |
interesting enough (for me) he only used a few loops to authenticate the coin. I guess they know by now just by looking at it
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Replies: 32 / Views: 4,145 |
Posted 05/12/2015 11:27 pm
