Is it real?

[rudwolf]

Hi guys, i posted a question on yahoo answers and someone told me to come here. My question was to check to see if the coin is real or not. I've got some photos of it which i will post.

This is the website which shows the coin that I own.

http://www.silver-coins.org/1885_trade_dollar.html

this is wikipedia showing the 1885 trade dollars and if you look at 1885 CC 238,000 1899 S 2,562,000 then you can see that 1885 cc was the fewest produced coin and my coin is also the cc version.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_Dollar

and this one is another Wikipedia page showing that there is only 5 1885 trade dollars today and i read somewhere else that there is no cc version of that kept until now but mine is a cc version.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_Dollar_..._States_coin%29

and this is my coin which i took a picture of so can you guys/experts look to see if its real or not. On the first website it said the differences and i think its the real one. Thanks in advanced.

[rudwolf]

and this is the back side. also you can see the cc which is right on top of "Trade Dollar" sign.

[ccg]

From the picture, it looks like generic white metal and not silver. Also, the legend "E pluribus unum" and the word "United" is way too weak for a coin of that grade.

 

Thumbs down. Almost certainly a modern counterfeit from China.

[Mark Stilson]

Really would help to have sharper pictures. The dentiles around the coin don't look consistent around the edge. Also correct me if wrong but the bottom of the ribbon with liberty on this one points left? The ribbons from 1876 on pointed down. Also notice the bottom arrow it should be longer. see the picture at silver coins. Right over the 2 in 420.

 

 

Edit: Okay big miss on my part. Carson City did not mint trade dollars in 1885. Only big silver was the morgan dollar. Looking for the obscure missed the obvious.

[Isaiah]

The 1885 is a proof-only issue. It's also an extreme rarity. It was minted only at the Philadelphia mint. No Carson City issues exist. This is most definitely a counterfeit.

 

Isaiah

[numismatic nut]

This coin is in your possesion I assume...

Now, just for fun let's test some china counterfiet properties.

 

1. Is the coin Magnetic?

2. If you drop the coin on a hard table, does it ring like a bell? (this can also be done by placing the coin's center in the middle of your finger, and hitting it with a pen on the edge)

3. Is it of proper weight (scale, or a ballance with a real coin and it on a popsicle stick)

 

Again, just for fun...

NN

[Vfox]

This is when the counterfeit guide I started in the fake coin forum would be helpful. I need to update it this summer, I have loads more images.

[hiho]

The 1885 is a proof-only issue. It's also an extreme rarity. It was minted only at the Philadelphia mint. No Carson City issues exist. This is most definitely a counterfeit.

 

Isaiah

 

Right on the money Isaiah.

 

The last 1885 Trade Dollar (that I am aware of) sold at auction for over one million dollars, and there were none struck at Carson City.

 

Definitely a counterfeit made by a bottom feeder too lazy to even check a copy of the Red Book. Egad!