U.S. Trade Dollar forgeries

I'm guessing the US trade dollars (1873-1885) are (were?) pretty ripe
targets for forgery, considering where they circulated.

Is anyone aware of any reasonably comprehensive online guides to common
fakes and forgeries? I've tried Googling with uncharacteristically poor
results.

TIA

I'm guessing the US trade dollars (1873-1885) are (were?) pretty ripe
targets for forgery, considering where they circulated.

Is anyone aware of any reasonably comprehensive online guides to common
fakes and forgeries? I've tried Googling with uncharacteristically poor
results.

TIA


In an MSNS spring coin convention
auction a few years ago there was a lot with a huge number (500+ I think) of
fake bust and trade dollars. I forget what
they sold for. I don't remember for sure
what happened but I think the buyer might have backed out of the deal and
I don't know what happened to the coins.

"JSTONE9352" wrote in message
...

In an MSNS spring coin convention
auction a few years ago there was a lot with a huge number (500+ I think)
of
fake bust and trade dollars. I forget what
they sold for. I don't remember for sure
what happened but I think the buyer might have backed out of the deal and
I don't know what happened to the coins.

Thanks for that.

....and on Stujoe's site there is a link to a news item
http://www.coinworld.com/news/102102/news-3.asp

(Thanks Stu)

which tells a similar story.

(Still looking for the noticeable differences between bogus and genuine.)

"A.Gent" asks....

(Still looking for the noticeable differences between bogus and genuine.)

Being far too early for me to think and not knowing the series beyond typical
aficionado, I can only add that the really bad to medium-good bad bogos, are as
easy to spot as a 3 sided octagon.

The older cast phonies are truly easy, while obviously the newer struck ones
are tougher, although not always either.

As with any coin, start with the denticles. Not being static-in-place
government employees, counterfeiters don't have the luxury of endless time to
get out a perfect product and in most cases, that shows first at the sloppy
denticles. Either the wrong number, pitched the wrong way, assymetrical or
erratic from one area or portion to another, etc..

Then if there's a eagle (as of course there is here), look at the feathers.
Same errors as above. Ditto human hair. Next step, look at objects in the field
and how they lay out from one side of the coin to the other. Just as most
people demonstrate LH or RH weaknesses to sketching anything on paper, so do
many counterfeiters. They miss the balance of observation and periodic review
that a committee of more than one brings to the table. With Trade Dollars, I've
seen many a star(s) that was out of place per the relationship to the rim or
ones that simply had a queer rotation to them or too much detail on one and not
others, etc.. Bad fonts on lettering, serifs missing on an "S" here but not
there,

Off the top of my poor Friday morning head, that's all I can muster right now
except for this. Don't miss the forest for the trees. IOW, forget about what
you don't know about a series and simply shake it all out of your body and
apply common sense to your observations and/or suspicions. Having said that,
OTOH, I can't tell you how many times I've seen a gang of experts, both here
and other, focus on a bag mark (or other innocuous flaw) and miss the fact that
"United" was spelled "Unnited". Always makes me howl.......

I know. All you did was ask about Trade Dollars.....Sorry.

Always here for my fellow syngraphist or oenophile.
--=*=----=*=----=*=----=*=----=*=----=*=----=*=----=*=----=*=----=*=--

"Jim" wrote in message
...
"A.Gent" asks....

(Still looking for the noticeable differences between bogus and
genuine.)
...
Off the top of my poor Friday morning head, that's all I can muster right
now

Thanks for that Jim!

All that makes good sense. I'll post again later with some more
observations. (Bedtime here in Sydney - zzzzzz)