1794 Flowing Hair Dollar - Real Or Fake?

Yes, fake for sure.

Beijing Beauty!
A travesty !

Tell us, are you doing any research at all on the appearance of genuine coins before you ask these questions? Because it doesn't seem like it.

FOMC , The adventure into really expensive numismatic coins , such as a
1794 First issue classic and truly scarce coin in any condition , should start
with visits to auction sites , coin shops , Coin shows , and a book or two
on the series you are considering . I know it is a little tough right now
With little open , due to the pandemic .
You should question when you are buying a rarity for a few bucks , you will
100 per cent end up with a fake . No Santa's in Numismatics!
A Genuine 1794 Dollar in the grade pictured is assuredly a 200 K plus coin.
Your pictured coin is available from China for 10 dollars or less .

This is an education site. People come here to learn. You can either help, or stay out of the way of those who do.

@kbbpll Seems like you and Coinfrog are jaded. You said yourself you've done this for years. I don't believe that you knew everything there was to know about this hobby the day you started.

As long as coin collecting is around there will always be people that are new to the hobby. As you were at one point. And guess what, you will continue to see these posts as long as you frequent these forums. I haven't been doing this long, but I have already seen how wear and tear can alter the appearance of a coin and authentic coins with pitted surfaces due to some type of PMD. So yeah, there was some small part of me that had hope. Not much, but a little. I have never seen one of these coins in real life, real or fake. I know that might not be good enough for you but I'll stick to that.

I now know that the real coins should have a smooth surface only because somebody, in this thread, pointed it out. The fact that I asked for help determining if this coin is real or fake, I felt, should've implied that I am ignorant, not unwilling to believe that it's a fake. Thanks for putting the pictures side by side. I'm not going to feel like an idiot because I know I have a lot to learn.

So you don't see how a response like Coinfrog's could deter somebody from asking questions or even continuing with the hobby? It's extremely frustrating being new to something and asking a question in a place specifically intended for questions about the subject and getting questioned on whether or not you are doing research. Wouldn't asking an expert be considered part of the research? A question like Coinfrog's is based on an assumption and offers no real help whatsoever in place that is intended to.

So if you and Coinfrog are tired of seeing these coins posted in these forums I would suggest not responding because they are not going to stop and neither am I. And people will have questions about their authenticity for years to come.

P.S. There's a smell test? I had no idea. Thanks for the info.

Not to stray too far off topic, but the comparison of the genuine and fake coins above reminds me of that botched restoration of the Salvator Mundi painting a few years ago.



@fomc, I think you asked a legitimate question. Since many coins are bought and sold online via photos these days, it really pays to spend time directly comparing photos of genuine coins (perhaps from PCGS, NGC, or Heritage) with photos of the coins in question, paying attention to every little detail. It will take some time, but you'll eventually see the differences. Pay particular attention to the appearance of numbers and letter.