A Pair Of Rare Chile 4r Coins That Are Fake

Jim - both coins exhibit traits common to Chinese forgeries. There is a softness to the details in the central devices while the dentils are sharp - that is a trait seen on many transfer copies. On the Guatemalan coin there are irregularities in the dentils and stray lumps that the forger attempts to hide with the "black goop". The Chilean coin has poorly done details on the King's portrait which may have been missing on the host coin. They often supply missing details and create errors in the process. But in person there is no doubt - the die surfaces beneath the faked tarnish are streaked. These are modern copies - not from the period - and they never circulated.

of the two, I found the guatemalan piece to be the most convincing. I would be willing to guess it would not pass the weight test, however.

The chile piece was much easier to spot. The bust just doesn't look right, and the hairlines are way off.