2017-10-18 Wed

19th-century United States gold coins are counterfeited extensively. High-quality fakes were also produced in the 1960s. The NGC received one such fake coin which looks exactly like a 1862-S Liberty Head Quarter Eagle. The original coin had a mintage limit of 8,000 pieces, making them rare and expensive in numismatic markets. You wouldn’t be able to notice any anomalies at first glance since it has the weight of its original counterpart and is also made of gold. But the details are lacking in the high points of Liberty’s hair. This is caused due to the transfer process used to make the fake dies. The eagle’s feather on the reverse is also not as detailed as the original coin design.

The spikes on the rims beneath the denticles are not seen on a real piece. The counterfeiter tried to remove imperfections from the dies using this technique. They have “tool marks” which can help in distinguish between real and fake coins. You can also refer to the book US Gold Counterfeit Detection Guide from Whitman to identify fakes.