2017-05-06 Sat

A 2017 One Kilo Silver 300 Yuan Panda was received by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC). The weight of the coin was one kg and it was much thicker than the other one. However, for the submitter, the coin turned out to be a fake one, made of copper and zinc.

The fake coin appears to have sharper details than the original one, which is counterintuitive because fake coins have better details. Pay close attention to how heavy the lines are at the centre of the leaves and between the bamboo stalks on the fake. You’ll notice how these lines are much finer on the authentic coin.

Going forward, there are other notable differences between the fake and authentic coin. For instance, the “300” and Yuan character are much finer on the counterfeit and also look shifted further to the left than they should be.

The obverse and the reverse have many problems that are unwilling to die out. The date is done in a different style, and the digits are thin. The work constructed on the Temple of Heaven appears to be much sharper on the counterfeit. Even lines and pillars are far too prominent on the fake.

The fake coins usually have better detailing and come across to be weak. But in this case, the panda coin has a much more nuanced design that brings into play diverse elements. The counterfeiter fails miserably in every aspect, be it technique or technology, all fail when compared to the original one. And because of this, the fake has details that are very sharp, but also plain.

Although there are plenty of subtle design differences, this piece would likely fool many investors who are not well-versed with the subtleties of the coin’s design. The design is fine and the coin looks silver and it weighs a kg, which would probably give most collectors confidence in its authenticity.

The Panda weighs 1,000 gms but since the piece is not silver the counterfeiter had to sacrifice for a lower density of the metals used by making the coin thicker. The conclusion, the coin is 44% thicker than it should be: 18.7mm versus the correct 13mm.

The fake coin arrived in a capsule, which must have been tailor-made by the counterfeiter to fit the coin’s larger thickness. The prospective buyer is easily fooled because just like the authentic coin, the counterfeit comes wrapped in a capsule. Clearly, there is no limit to what a counterfeit will do to deceive collectors.

When purchasing coins of any type, it is important to be watchful. With technology advancing at a high speed, counterfeits will only become more deceptive. Coins must be closely investigated and compared to known genuine examples.