Mexico 1872 Scale Peso. Error Coin Or Forgery?

I think Swamperbob will chime in, but in my opinion, this is absolutely a counterfeit, and likely a modern one to fool collectors. The "Libertad" text font just looks wrong, and the reverse rim is off.

First impression - struck from a well worn die, harshly cleaned with an abrasive like toothpaste or silver polish and banged up a bit around the edges. As for the dentils splitting from the rim, I've seen that on these coins before. It's a bit more extreme on this coin, but that may be the die wear.

If you look at UN PESO at the top of the letters they are dis-formed due to this so-called bifurcation effect as cara has alluded to in the previous post. Hard to imagine a cast die transfer process bringing this over with such detail? Unfortunately I do not know enough of this coin to determine if its a fake. Error Collector experts like to call these errors particularly in modern coins as severe flow lines created from severely worn dies. As the die ages, the cold metal flow from striking planchets will groove the die face in a radial pattern. I remember writing about this in a paper for U.S. Colonial coins in a ANS-COAC Conference on the Atlee Broken A Letter punch. Sometimes this bifurcation effect or outward radial flow lines effect the dies to a point as to create an incorrect assumption in that a new die variety exist due to letter or numeral dis-forming in the die or maybe in this case thinking this is a modern forgery or contemporary circulating counterfeit.

http://www.error-ref.com/radial-flow-lines/

John Lorenzo
Numismatist
United States

I don't know of any counterfeiting process that'd result in those very fine, minute flow lines out ner the rim. Also, an 1872 Mo is hardly worth the effort faking, at least in the proper composition as the weight and specific gravity indicate. The deformation of the edge could be the result of its having been hurled to the pavement to test its ring, once a common practice south of the border. The flan may have been a bit oversized and/or irregular. I've seen some weird things with this genre that certainly would make you wonder. That said, my impression is genuine but struck with a cap side die in a quite advanced state of wear.

You're the expert in such matters. I'll admit that it'd probably have fooled me. I'd simply remark that it seems like the effort would've been better spent forging an issue worth more than just a few dollars over melt, as this would be in its apparent condition if genuine.

I'd like to learn something from this thread but I confess I am not sure what specific details give away the casting. I'm also not familiar with the term bifurcation effect?

Interesting - thank you!