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Posted 12/17/2005 10:41 am
Hi coinera and welcome to the forum!
I agree with all Metalman said and will add a little. Most counterfeit coins are of uncommon or rare coins rather than common coins. Since the 1879-S is fairly common, there would be no point in producing fakes since there would be little or no profit for the counterfeiter.
There's a fair number of fake Morgan dollars out there. Most are of the key and semi-key dates/mints of 1889CC, 1893CC, 1879CC, 1893S, and 1895, but the fakes aren't limited to these dates/mints. There are also MANY copies currently on the market. While most are stamped or incused with "copy", this is not always visible on images, often intentionally by the seller. These copies are also being marketed on ebay and elsewhere as "Proofs" and "Tribute" coins. Most aren't worth the metal used to coin them. Many Morgan fakes are made in China and are fairly evident by the cast marks, but some are also very good counterfeits. Basic rules: don't buy from China; and make sure ANY Morgan seller has a return policy and good feedback.
There's a lot of online information regarding counterfeits, but one place to start is: http://rg.ancients.info/bogos/ . There are also several threads on this topic in this forum; use the Search function in the upper right corner of this page and search on "counterfeits". However, feel free to ask about specific coins such as the 79S Morgan you posted. If it's a Morgan, I can safely state that you'll get a number of responses since there's several of us Morgan nuts in the group.
Fred
I agree with all Metalman said and will add a little. Most counterfeit coins are of uncommon or rare coins rather than common coins. Since the 1879-S is fairly common, there would be no point in producing fakes since there would be little or no profit for the counterfeiter.
There's a fair number of fake Morgan dollars out there. Most are of the key and semi-key dates/mints of 1889CC, 1893CC, 1879CC, 1893S, and 1895, but the fakes aren't limited to these dates/mints. There are also MANY copies currently on the market. While most are stamped or incused with "copy", this is not always visible on images, often intentionally by the seller. These copies are also being marketed on ebay and elsewhere as "Proofs" and "Tribute" coins. Most aren't worth the metal used to coin them. Many Morgan fakes are made in China and are fairly evident by the cast marks, but some are also very good counterfeits. Basic rules: don't buy from China; and make sure ANY Morgan seller has a return policy and good feedback.
There's a lot of online information regarding counterfeits, but one place to start is: http://rg.ancients.info/bogos/ . There are also several threads on this topic in this forum; use the Search function in the upper right corner of this page and search on "counterfeits". However, feel free to ask about specific coins such as the 79S Morgan you posted. If it's a Morgan, I can safely state that you'll get a number of responses since there's several of us Morgan nuts in the group.
Fred
Some shrink will probably force me to join a support group like Morgans Anonymous, go to weekly meetings, and introduce myself, "My name is Fred and I'm a Morganholic.". 
Or maybe they'll come up with a shot; Thorazine? [I'm sure Metalman will have some suggestions for me.] 
