I picked up a really cool (c) 1963 book a few days ago about counterfeit gold...

[James_OldeTowne]

It's called simply enough, COUNTERFEIT GOLD COINS by Alfred Dieffenbacher. It lists, with remarkably sharp B&W images for the time, individually counterfeited issues for France, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland and United States. I realize that being fifty years old, the work is probably obsolete in the sense of many newer fakes in existence, but I wonder if there is an updated version.

 

Incidentally, it isn't really a bound book, but rather common glossy three-holed pages in a three-ring binder.

 

Anyhow, if you ever get a chance to see one, it's worth a few minutes of absorbing perusal. But I would love to learn whether there is an updated version available.

[RWB]

But, it targets the peak period of middle east fakes, especially Lebanon. Might prove useful even now.

[DWLange]

The fakes in that book are pretty amateurish by modern standards, almost to the point of some of the current Chinese tourist coins, so I don't think they pose much of a threat to anyone experienced. Nevertheless, they're still lurking out there to fool the beginner.

[cpm9ball]

Regardless of the age of the book, it does sound interesting.

 

 

It is also interesting that the author's name is so similar to the tropical plant, dieffenbachia.

 

Dieffenbacher.....fake gold

 

Dieffenbachia.....dumb cane

 

Chris

[Conder101]

I have two copies of it. Unfortunately it doesn't cover US gold that much. And David is right the counterfeits of the time that it covered would not be considered good quality today. This is probably why the price of the book has been falling. It used to be scarce and expensive. It isn't anymore. Still an interesting book, but I wouldn't say it is a must have.