Help Anthropologist Verifying A 1795, 1804, And 1879 Coin?

You're right, they are all counterfeit.

For all these coins, the detail is wrong. Stars, denticles, letters, and the bust are indicative of a Chinese fake. As well, the surfaces look very grainy and suspect. The surfaces are a clear sign the coin is a cast fake. These all appear to be common Chinese counterfeits.

They don't look anything like a real coin, take the Morgan dollar:



Or the flowing Hair dollar (1795):



and when you consider that all 8 Know 1804 dollars reside in museums or private collections worth 8 figures...

Definitely fakes. Keep digging!



to the CCF!

It's a goloid pattern dollar. These were patterns, never issued for circulation; only a few were struck to demonstrate to government officials the experimental concept of a mixed gold-silver alloy to use for coinage. The probability of a genuine goloid pattern finding it's way to Burma is zero - just like the probability of a genuine 1804 or 1795 dollar in the same circumstances.

As for the coins generally, yes, they are all supposed to be silver dollars, and I can guarantee that none of them will actually be made of silver. They are also likely to be significantly underweight (probably around 20 grams, as opposed to the regulation 26.7 grams) These "southeast Asian replicas" are generally of lower quality than the Chinese-made replicas that are flooding the market these days. The mushy details on these coins signify a low-grade casting (they probably all have a "casting seam" on the edge) and the re-engraved details are simply crude; finally, the black blotchy "toning" is smeared on them to try to make them look old.

Some of these fakes, although looking similar to silver, are likely attracted to a refrigerator magnet. Demonstrating this and comparing the weights of these fakes with the actual weights, given in a coin catalog, will likely prove convincing to a doubter.

All are fakes, unfortunately.