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 Replies: 18 / Views: 2,399 |
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Valued Member
United States
57 Posts |
I bought a bunch of silver coins a couple of days ago and in one lot of about $50 (face value) of dimes were 4 merc's that just didn't look right. They looked identical maybe a bit smaller and 50% thicker that your standard silver dime. The reeded rim is very well struck but the image front and back is weak. At first I thought a counterfit coin but that is a lot of work to fake a dime. Now I think they might be counterfit but overstruck on a foreign non-silver coin. This is what they look like mixed in with real mercs.  The next two shots are front and back with real coins left and right.   The rest are close-ups and extreme close-ups      Need you guys opinion. Counterfit? Overstrike of foreign coin to pass as real? Overstrike on forein coin planchet at the U.S. Mint? Or? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3098 Posts |
huh... pic 4 just looks like damage....
Do they feel lighter than the other mercs? If you tap it, do they sound like the mercs?
Also, I feel that from pic 4 the strike quality is there (or I must be going blind!) so I'm kinda leaning towards damage right now...
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Valued Member
 United States
57 Posts |
I first noticed them from the rim as I was counting them. Look how thick they are.
I am at work now and they are home I will test tonight.
about the strike quality (it might be my imagination) but I think I see a very light 2nd image. And notice how thick the edge is on the front and back.
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
Quote:
I'm kinda leaning towards damage right now... Dunno - doesn't explain the thicker planchet. The reed count is off, too, which wouldn't happen with a wrong-planchet strike, and a thicker planchet *should* lead to a stronger strike. Fakes, I think, but like you said, why? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1116 Posts |
they don't look right to me. waiting for more opinions  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
I agree the reed count looks off to me as well which shouldn't be that way no matter what type of planchet they were struck on
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Valued Member
United States
164 Posts |
I am going to call these fake - you look at them and you ge tthe gut that they are wrong - or "somethingis off"
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Valued Member
United States
156 Posts |
Look how wide those rims are. This is another sign that they are fake.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2520 Posts |
I believe they are counterfeit. Why bother? Because a dime bought a heck of a lot more back in the 40's. They look like they've been around awhile. What really confuses me is that I have counterfeit Washington quarters (one is dated 1983) and a Roosevelt dime! A quarter couldn't get you much even in 1983 (except maybe a local payphone call). |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3098 Posts |
Oh second thought, it is counterfeit. The metal looks too dark and is probably tin or any other slug pot metal.
Go back there and get a refund!
**Sorry, missed the "t" on tin
Edited by wd1040
05/28/2009 01:34 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2540 Posts |
Pretty much guarantee that they are fakes.
But, the good news: they are vry collectible.
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Valued Member
United States
57 Posts |
Yes, I am sure they are fakes, but where do I sell them. I once found a 50¢ silver commerative, blue book value around $200 took it to my coin dealer and he pulled out a huge binder and showed me it was counterfit. I asked him if I sold it on ebay as a counterfit what does he think I would get? With a big smile he said "about 20 years" |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1291 Posts |
On the question of "why a common date dime", I wonder if these were trial runs prior to counterfeiting a 1916-D or some other key? Perhaps an actual dime had to be sacrificed in the process and they wanted to work out the bugs on common dates before they ruined a 21-D or a 16-D...?
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Valued Member
United States
57 Posts |
Sounds logical, but I found 4 in one lot. Those 4 have stayed together for probably 35-40 years.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
I'm thinking contemporary counterfeit made to circulate as coins. As ratman said, a dime was significant money back in the 1940's.
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Valued Member
United States
57 Posts |
these were all accumulated by one person (over $50 face value just in dimes) in the mid 60s & early 70s. That is when she quit and later died. This is just a part of an estate sale I bought.
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Replies: 18 / Views: 2,399 |
Posted 05/27/2009 7:46 pm
