Victoria Jubilee Double Sovereign 1887

[michael311]

Hello everybody

 

In the 2011 edition of the British Coins Market Values it says that there are many forgeries of the Victoria Jubilee Double Sovereign in circulation. I was wondering if there was an easy way to spot them. In the past six months I've seen 3 pieces which didn't quite bear close examination. The detail (the bust, lettering, etc) on both the obverse and the reverse was excellent. However, the coins were slightly larger, just 1 mm or so and sometimes slightly heavier - up to 0.5 g. One of the coins was on sale at a reputable shop in Paris.

 

Have those who have more experience than me come across such examples? Do you know if these slight inconsistencies in the size and weight are the hallmark of the so called Lebanese forgeries? Or are these other forgeries? Or is there any record that these double sovereigns have slight variations and might these examples be genuine?

 

I would be most grateful for your comments on this.

[DaBoz]

What is the proper size and weight?

[michael311]

What is the proper size and weight?

I'm sorry I couldn't get back to you sooner - I was snowed under with work. I haven't measured it but I have 4 other double sovs: George IV, Victoria Old Head, George V and George VI and when I compare the size the latest arrival - Victoria Jubilee is 1 mm larger all around.

 

The wight is 16.4 g instead of the standard 15.97 but there is always an error margin even with a fine scale. It's not so much the weight that worries me - it's the size. Having said that I've seen another 2 coins of the identical size. Have you had a similar experience with this particular issue?