An Error Made By Forgers And Collectors Both.

That is some good information, I didn't know it but I will have to file it away.

OK then swamperbob....what else is out of order here? I hate missing the obvious!

Well, I won the coin for $20.02 - it will be interesting to ask the seller if he suspected. Most do not and I believe them.

The Riddell # 223 and its many varieties is one of the 5 or 6 most successful forgeries of the era. However, the 1830 is a fairly scarce sub-type of that Riddell variety. The 1832 version is far more common.

akglen The purpose of my posts is not only to educate collectors but to bring them to the point I reached as a late teen. I discovered that the best thing to do was LEARN FIRST and then buy. I looked at every coin I could and spoke to those older collectors who were willing to share their knowledge. When I bought coin I studied every mm under a microscope.

Some collectors are very secretive or deceptive keeping the best information to themselves so they don't have to pay more in competition with a student. I don't agree with that. I can't own every coin or even every type, I don't have the money. But my love of coins in general and counterfeits in particular drives me to make the facts generally known.

I also went to every coin show I could and LISTENED first. I was fortunate to be close enough to Boston so that large shows were available. The big ANA shows come to Boston regularly so that I had access to dealers from all over the country. I have also met many of the well known collectors who have written the books we all use today. Don't be in awe of any of them. They are really just like us.

Decide on what you want to collect (it can change over time - as most collectors interests do) - but start with the common dates where mistakes won't cost too much and then over time work up to the more expensive ones. Study the coins you get until you KNOW what they should look like. Learn how they were made and see if you can pick up clues on the coins to that process. What a REAL coin looks like is critical - then when you find a fake you will be better able to spot the differences. Over time even the subtle differences will pop right out.

If you choose to pursue forgeries as a hobby - the processes are harder to determine, but it becomes just like identifying originals. YOU WILL KNOW a coin is real or fake BEFORE you necessarily can explain to others WHY you formed that opinion. Explaining the WHY question comes with time.

Be patient and above all read. I even read Spanish texts although it is very laborious since I really do not know the language. I pick my way through word by word with translation aids.

Don't give up and don't get frustrated - the beginning is the hardest. But once you are there it is like riding a bike.

I've definitely learned more about Mexican forgeries than I ever wanted to know. Thank you! LOL

Very good info.