Capped Bust Halves (Real Of Fake)

Pictures would help.

babybrams,

The only real way to catch them consistently is through extensive experience. There's no 101-course that will insure you don't end up with a fake. Now there is a method to eliminate many of the imposters ... weigh the coin. Draped Bust halves should weigh out around 13.5 grams, Capped at 13.48 grams. You can subtract about .03 grams if there is significant wear. Any coin less than 13 grams should be suspect. The reason the fakes don't make the weight is they were manufactured without the silver/copper composition used in genuine coins. In fact there is probably no silver in them at all. The pot metal used is much lighter than a comparable volume of 90% silver/10% copper.

If you can't weigh the coin (i.e. an ebay listing you are interested in), post the link here first and have the experts offer opinions. And always make sure the seller offers a solid return policy in case you find the coin to be "not as advertised" once you have it in hand.

19