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 Replies: 10 / Views: 32,196 |
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New Member
United Arab Emirates
2 Posts |
Hi everyone. Today I was antique shoping in Dubai, UAE. While haggling for an item I noticed that the store owner had a chess full of coins, so I asked if he would throw in a coin, and we'de have a deal. To my surprise the coins were US Morgan dollars, I really was hoping for an old coin from the united arab emirates or Oman, but a deal is a deal. My father has a collection of Morgan dollars, and to my surprise I spotted one with the cc mint mark on it, which I've never seen before. So I took it as part of the deal. My question is if there are any good guidelines to spotting a fake Morgan dollar? Is it common to make fake ones? Why would someone in the middle east have Morgan dollars, and why would they fake one? Thanks for your help, of course if I feel confident in its authenticity I may head over there and purchase a few more. By the way, the coin I got was a 1884 CC. Thanks |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7840 Posts |
Welcome to the forum. I have something about "silver" coins in the Middle East, RUN!! There are more fakes than real versions worldwide, and the bigger majority are coming in from China. Anyway, take a close look at the fields (flat areas) for flow lines, these should NOT be granular (pitted, uneven) this one of the more common characteristics of a cast coin. The letters and other details are not sharp on fakes as well. If you rock the coin back and forth slightly, you should see depth in the hair and eagles chest feathers. I got a hold of a fake Morgan and there is little depth n the these areas. I am sure some others will chime in as well. In summary, I would not buy one, look all you want, but don't fall for it.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3294 Posts |
Well as to why they would fake one, it is easy money if they can sell them. A real 1884 CC Morgan dollar is worth at least $100 in all but truly awful condition. Sadly, there are a lot of fake CC morgans out there. Some good things to check to see if you have a fake is the weight. A real morgan should weigh in at 26.73g Fakes are usually under weight. If yours is under weight by more then 0.5g, it is not looking good unless your morgan has a ton of wear. Also, a good thing to look closely at is the date. If you post a photo, we are pretty good at spotting fakes. Between the weight, and showing a good clear photo here, you can have a pretty reasonable idea of authenticity. Edited by nod2003
06/28/2010 4:13 pm
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New Member
 United Arab Emirates
2 Posts |
here it is:   |
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Moderator
 United States
16679 Posts |
It's a cast copy. Diagnostically speaking, the devices are all wrong. The mintmark is wrong as well.
Under magnification, you should see casting bubbles or graininess due to the casting process. Weigh it and let us know what it weighs. A simple drop test will also determine if it's silver or not.
swcoin.ecrater.com
Edited by vermontensium
06/26/2010 9:19 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
954 Posts |
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New Member
United States
36 Posts |
Unfortunately it is a counterfeit Morgan dollar. Apparently some of the current counterfeit coins coming out of China are very difficult to spot as fake. And to further complicate matters, there are some thieves that are even counterfeiting the certification holders of the major 3rd party graders. It is a good idea to purchase coins from known reputable dealers, and if you do, compare an original Morgan dollar with your fake and the difference will jump out at you. |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1551 Posts |
I would agree it looks like a 2 generation Chinese cast. You will find that a good deal of what look too be well worn Morgans in semi key dates are fake. I sometimes think that there more Fake Seated Liberty dollar out then have been produced by the real US Mint |
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Valued Member
United States
52 Posts |
Please do NOT take offense, but is the "fake slab" statement proven true or internet myth? That sounds MIGHTY scary if true..........
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8904 Posts |
Quote:
"fake slab" statement proven true? Unfortunately true. And the "Smart" counterfeiters find a correct coin type ANACS/NGC ID # and put that on the slab making the counterfeit VERY difficult to detect. Pretty annoying!  From NGC Website:Counterfeit NGC Holders In order to facilitate the trade of counterfeit coins in the international marketplace, counterfeiters have copied the encapsulations used by prominent certification companies, including NGC. They have done this because all modern-era coins legitimately certified by NGC are guaranteed authentic. NGC has taken several aggressive steps to curtail the spread of counterfeit NGC holders. In October 2008, we formally began a photography initiative that allows prospective buyers to see images of coins taken at NGC after certification. These images are available by entering the NGC certification number into the lookup tool on NGC's Web site. How to use the NGC certification verification tool. Learn more about this initiative here: April 2, 2009: Enhanced Certification Verification with Coin Images Now Available December 8, 2008: NGC Announces Coin Photography Initiative as Major Step Against Counterfeit and Altered Holders Also in response to the counterfeit NGC holder, we have introduced a redesigned and more secure version of the NGC holder. The security features include a next-generation hologram fused directly onto the back of the holder. We also use UV watermarking and a holographic layer on the NGC label. These features make accurate replication very difficult. Click for more information about the NGC holder. Counterfeit Holder Contact Information If you see a counterfeit NGC holder being offered for sale, please contact us immediately at consumerawareness@NGCcoin.com. Edited by Moe145
07/02/2010 6:20 pm
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Valued Member
United States
52 Posts |
Thanks, I didn't know about that program.
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Replies: 10 / Views: 32,196 |
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Posted 06/17/2010 09:17 am
