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 Replies: 7 / Views: 1,098 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
539 Posts |
I didn't want to derail a recent post about a couple of coins being returned but I am curious about how one goes about making a Lincoln whatever into that 1931-S.
and before someone responds to this by saying we don't want to publish this so that more can be done...I'm just looking for a high level description.
Is it they add metal to the coin in a shape they want it and then figure out a way to tone it. I can see how they would shave off a mintmark but how do you add them? Again, I'm just looking for a high level discussion.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4618 Posts |
One way to ADD a mint mark that I know of is to drill into the edge and use tools to force the metal into the shape of the letter. Once done, you fill the hole and polish the edge. I'm not sure on removing a mint mark, other than to tool it away. That's why die markers are great at spotting fakes.
Most of the work I've seen done to alter the date or mint mark stand out like a sore thumb. They look fake and the area around the work looks strange or off color from the rest of the coin. I'm sure that some people are good at it, but I wouldn't buy a rare coin without having it checked out first, unless it was sold through a seller that is well known and backs up the purchase of their coins with a lifetime warranty.
ANA ID: 3203813 - CONECA ID: N-5637 Clean a coin that may be worth collecting? Please DON'T! When in doubt, leave it dirty!! 
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Pillar of the Community
United States
860 Posts |
On more worn and dark coins, mintmarks can actually be removed from a similar font mintmark coin and glued to the non mintmark coin. Then dark "crud" is added around the mm to look like grime and it can fool many collectors. An amateur can't do this. It requires someone with experience with working small amounts of metal. Old time Jewelers and dentists have the ability if they are good :)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2130 Posts |
Very interesting. I too was wondering. I sure didn't know about drilling through the side. Well, maybe I found my LWC 1922 no D.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3592 Posts |
They can also produce dies and blank planchets are pretty easy to find...really there are thousands of ways depending on the date...a 44-D can be turned into a 14-D, add an S to a 1909 vdb or vdb to a 1909-S
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
When I was a kid and a little on the distructive side, myself and a few others did some coin rearranging. By that I mean we erased part of the 4's on a 1944D Lincoln Cent with an electric eraser, touched up the spot with gun bluing and preto, a 1914D Lincoln. Also, made 22 plains with the same eraser. Made some wierd 41's with the 1 slanted since it was really a 7. We did a lot of stuff with an electric eraser and gun bluing. I've heard about how people actually take a Mint mark off one coin and glue it on others. That would have been fun to try as a kid but just never knew how. That 31S fake is a good example of an almost great fake. Imagine the ingenuity of a person that has the time and patience to do that. Could have put it to use as a diamond cutter or something. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Find and read a copy of Numismatic Forgery by Charles M Larson. A thoroughly frightening book.
Edited by Conder101
06/24/2011 12:22 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
I have seen coins that people move metal around to make a MM on the coin. It is not something that can be done in a hour sitting at your desk. Allot of these coin doctors take weeks or months to get the mm just right and as undetectable as possible
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Replies: 7 / Views: 1,098 |
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Posted 06/23/2011 6:56 pm
