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How Does One Tell If A Racketeer Coin Is A Real/Original Racketeer Coin?

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Author Previous TopicReplies: 8 / Views: 6,484Next Topic  
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casualcoincollector's Avatar
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574 Posts
 Posted 11/17/2017  03:32 am Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add casualcoincollector to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
Hello,

How does one tell whether or not a Racketeer coin is most likely a real/original racketeer? Rather than just a reproduction after the fact.

Let's say for the purpose of this topic that a real/original racketeer coin is any coin that is altered in order to try to deceive someone into believing that it is another coin of higher face value than the original coin for the purpose of circulating that coin in general circulation for a profit.

I have a small collection of racketeer nickels and one racketeer 20 cent piece and I know that it is pretty much impossible to truly ascertain whether or not these pieces are actually real/original racketeers and were actually intended for general circulation without full provenance but my question is what qualities would a real/original racketeer coin most likely need to possess in order to be considered real/original?

Below are the racketeers in my collection:

1875 S Racketeer 20 Cent Piece with a hand cut reeded edge in order to deceive people into thinking it was a quarter:
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
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How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?

1883 No Cents Liberty nickel gold plated with a hand cut reeded edge in order to deceive people into thinking it was a five dollar gold piece:
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?

1883 No Cents Liberty nickels gold plated or gold washed with a most likely machine cut reeded edge in order to deceive people into thinking it was a five dollar gold piece:
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
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How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?

1896 Liberty nickel gold plated with the word cents Removed with what I think is a hand cut reeded edge:
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?

Please let me know what you think and your thoughts on the matter.

Also, if you have any, please post your Racketeers!

Edited by casualcoincollector
11/17/2017 04:00 am
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spru's Avatar
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 Posted 11/17/2017  04:10 am  Show Profile   Check spru's eBay Listings Bookmark this reply Add spru to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Thanks for the pics! I would like to have a Racketeer V nickel. I don't see any way to reasonably discern a contemporaneous example from a modern creation.
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Fuzzy317's Avatar
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 Posted 11/17/2017  04:19 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Fuzzy317 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Here is mine, but I don't know if it is modern or classic
How-Does-One-Tell-If-A-Racketeer-Coin-Is-A-Real/Original-Racketeer-Coin?
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Spence's Avatar
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 Posted 11/17/2017  06:41 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Spence to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Just my opinion here: similar to how reprocessed steel cents tend to have pristine plating over clearly worn details, I think that if the so-called racketeer nickel has really sharp detail remaining, then it is more likely to have been contemporaneous. If you've got a G-4 example with a shiny new plating surface; however, my thought is that some dude probably plated it last week.
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aristarchus123's Avatar
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 Posted 11/17/2017  08:24 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add aristarchus123 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
The general question is how to date PMD. The best I can say is trying to date the methods used.
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 Posted 11/17/2017  10:07 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add moxking to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
A differentiation of the plating content and possibly the thickness of the plating might help establish groups.

Deciding which group is the contemporary plating would still be difficult to establish.
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Andrew99's Avatar
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 Posted 11/17/2017  3:15 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Andrew99 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Same issue with Hobo nickels. They go for big money, but I can't tell if they were done last week or not.
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 Posted 11/18/2017  4:03 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add nautilator to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
I think that if the so-called racketeer nickel has really sharp detail remaining, then it is more likely to have been contemporaneous.

This is what I've seen/been told as well. If they were passed as frauds then it would've been done so when they were new, not well-worn. If it was used, there should be areas where the plating has worn away.
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casualcoincollector's Avatar
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 Posted 11/21/2017  05:37 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add casualcoincollector to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
I think that if the so-called racketeer nickel has really sharp detail remaining, then it is more likely to have been contemporaneous


I've heard this too and I agree with it.

The other things that I have heard is that the bulk but not all of the real/original racketeer nickels had a reeded edge as well, and that if it has a reeded edge and looks like it had a mount removed it was most likely a souvenir pendent and was not intended for general circulation.
Edited by casualcoincollector
11/21/2017 05:39 am
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