1878 Trade Dollar. Thoughts?

Is it 38.1 mm in diameter? Does the thickness at the rims appear consistent with standards? How about the reeding? Fakes can weigh correctly and be primarily base metal because they are too thick. If it's genuine, I agree with VF/XF Details - Harshly Cleaned. With Trade dollars there's always a good likelihood it's counterfeit. This one looks iffy to me too.

Well it has the correct type 2 obverse paired with the correct type 2 reverse which is something counterfeiters often overlook. You really need an accurate set of calipers able to measure in millimeters. A small deviation from diameter specs might not be a big deal but a small deviation in the thickness can be a very big deal. Counterfeits are oftentimes a little thicker to make up the weight. The ping test in my opinion is useless. I have a counterfeit that pings normally but when I conducted a specific gravity test it indicated copper. Sure enough when I took a file to the rim it was brass under a silver plating. Too many of these have been counterfeited. That said, I just don't like the look of this one and I personally wouldn't take the chance. Get a graded one to be safe.

Distilled water is not a problem. The SG test can be very tedious and may need to be performed several times to repeat the results. You need a correctly calibrated scale capable of at least two decimal points and the capacity to handle the weight of the water and the coin. The coin must be carefully suspended in the solution without touching bottom or sides. The string used for suspension must also be weighed to avoid miscalculations. The testing area must be free of outside interference from things like a blowing fan which can disrupt readings. It certainly is much easier to have the coin XRF'd if you have access to that capability.