Sdk23315 Posted June 2 Share Posted June 2 How does one tell if a coin is a fake? I received this cent, something seems not correct. Is there a way to know before submitting to NGC? Thank you for any help that can be provided. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Meenderink Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 Hello and welcome to the forum. The coin you have posted is a counterfiet. The missing reverse as well as the obvious wrong details obverse make this an obvious fake. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenstang Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 (edited) Definitely a counterfeit. Just compare the photo of your coin with a photo of a genuine one and you can see many differences. Almost forgot. Welcome to the Chat Board. Edited June 3 by Greenstang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powermad5000 Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 Hello and welcome to the forum! It is not always easy to tell from just photos whether or not a coin is genuine or a counterfeit as there are many fakes in the marketplace that are craftily made and can be quite deceiving. Your coin is not one of these difficult to tell fakes. One of the things we do to determine if a coin is legit from posted photos is to check the details against genuine examples. In the case of your coin here, none of the details are correct. I do remember seeing some copper rounds issued of these rare coins as fantasy pieces as just about all collectors of cents of this early era will either never own a piece to begin with due to scarcity and will never own one with great details as those are extremely scarce in great condition with full details and unaffordable to all except the top tier of high end collectors. I am not sure if these fantasy pieces actually had a reverse or not. Either way, yours is one of these exonumia or is just a very terrible fake. RonnieR131 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sdk23315 Posted June 4 Author Share Posted June 4 Thank you, the reverse is what looks like was rubbed off kinda made me think it was not correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Charriere Posted Tuesday at 12:50 AM Share Posted Tuesday at 12:50 AM (edited) Just happened to come across this post for the first time now. I honestly do not believe this qualifies as a counterfeit. A counterfeit of what? Yes, the design is eerily reminiscent of early coinage but with ONLY a date, 1794, and LIBERTY, it falls woefully short of a genuine coin which would have been minted on a larger, thicker planchet, sport a denomination and feature a reverse with some design. A blank side festooned with gratuitous dentils, quite comical for copper, virtually insures no one will mistake this for a genuine piece. Is the edge also reeded? 🤣 Edit: Read update 2 posts down. Edited Tuesday at 01:27 AM by Henri Charriere Routine die polishing + Edit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWB Posted Tuesday at 12:57 AM Share Posted Tuesday at 12:57 AM On 6/1/2024 at 9:39 PM, Sdk23315 said: How does one tell if a coin is a fake? Yes. You put the coin is a secure spot, preferably where it can't run away, look it straight in its beady, crooked cyclopean eye, and you say "You are a fake!" If that does not work, hit it with a 5-lb hammer. Thus begins the Odyssey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Charriere Posted Tuesday at 01:24 AM Share Posted Tuesday at 01:24 AM (edited) Looks like I may owe the OP and responding members, an apology for today's earlier post, upthread. I just traipsed thru the wonderful world of ebay, and it appears there are truckloads of this cent with this date and the majority are being sold "uncertified," and if certification includes "authentication," (which it does) then that is the seller's out. There are examples, too numerous to count, which are in terrible shape and a Google search reveals an UNC example can go for as much as $7M, with others in poor or fair (and in otherwise incredibly deplorable state) going for thousands and many tens of thousands of dollars each. IN ADDITION: my remarks re dentils was premature. While the planchets were large, presumably thick, with wreaths, denomination and country, a standard design feature, in all fairness, while I do not believe I would be receptive to shady sites, I can understand where a novice, finding a Eureka! Moment, responds in the heat of the moment and not knowing better, takes the bait. Accordingly, I am unilaterally declaring such merchandise to be a CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER to anyone, collector or not. Edited Tuesday at 01:36 AM by Henri Charriere Die polishing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
