Fake, Counterfeit & Altered Coins: How to Tell if a Coin Is Real

Is Your Coin Real or Fake? A Guide to Counterfeit Coins

Counterfeit coins are made for many reasons, but the ones that matter most are made to cheat collectors and sellers out of their money. Large numbers of fake coins are sold in the U.S. without the “COPY” marking that the Hobby Protection Act requires on replicas. Buying coins sight unseen online can be costly if you can’t trust the seller. Your best protection is knowing what to look for, and having an expert check anything you’re unsure about.

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See what real fakes look like: browse our Fake Coin Pictures gallery →

How to Tell if a Coin Is Counterfeit

Most fakes give themselves away if you know where to look. Start with these checks:

Weigh it. Use a scale that reads to a tenth of a gram or better and compare the result with the official weight for that type and date. Many fakes are off.
Measure it. Check the diameter and thickness with calipers. Fakes made of lighter metal are often thicker to make up the weight.
Try a magnet. Gold, silver and copper coins aren’t magnetic, so one that sticks is a fake (a genuine 1943 steel cent is the well-known exception).
Look at the edge. Reeding should be even and sharp. A seam, file marks or a rough band can point to a cast fake or two halves joined together.
Check the surfaces with a 5x loupe. Watch for soft or mushy details, tiny raised bumps or pits, tool marks, and odd color or luster.
Check the date and mint mark. Compare their shape and position with a known genuine coin. Added mint marks and altered dates are among the most common tricks.
Verify any slab. Look up the certification number on the grading service’s website and make sure the coin, grade and holder match. Fake holders exist.
Ask an expert. Send clear photos of both sides and the edge for a free opinion.

Coins that are faked most often include Morgan and Trade dollars, U.S. gold coins, key-date cents such as the 1909-S VDB and 1943 copper cent, the 1916-D Mercury dime and Chinese silver dollars.

Fake Coin Types and Why People Counterfeit Coins

Replica or copy coins: Some coins are so rare and costly that most collectors will never own one, so they buy a replica to show what the real coin looks like. Honest replicas are marked “COPY” or “REPLICA.”
Fantasy coins: Pieces that were never officially issued, often made to mark a place or an event.
Contemporary counterfeits: Fakes made to pass as money in their own day. When the 1883 Liberty Head nickel first came out without the word CENTS, crooks gold-plated it and passed it off as a $5 gold piece. Fake gold coins are still some of the most common fakes we see.

Altered and doctored coins: Genuine coins that have been changed to look like a higher grade, a rarer date or mint mark, or a mint error.
Collector counterfeits: Modern fakes of older coins, made to fool collectors into thinking they are buying the real thing.

Methods Used to Create Fake Coins

Cast counterfeits: The most basic and crudest fakes, made by pouring metal into a mold taken from a real coin. They often show soft details, a grainy surface and a seam on the edge.
Electrotypes: Made by pressing a genuine coin into a soft material, electroplating the impressions into two thin shells and joining them. Look for a seam on the edge.
Transfer die copies: A genuine coin’s design is transferred to a working die, which is then used to strike fakes.
Spark-erosion dies: An electrical process etches a genuine coin’s design into die steel. The fakes often show tiny raised bumps.
Struck counterfeits: Fakes struck from dies that were hand engraved or made from a model.

Methods Used to Create Altered Coins

These are genuine coins that have been changed to look more valuable. Common alterations include:

Adding a mint mark: A fake “S,” “CC” or “D” mint mark is added to a common coin to make it look like a rare one.
Changing the date: A digit is tooled or replaced, such as a 1948 cent altered to look like a rare 1943 copper cent.
Cleaning or polishing: Harsh cleaning makes a coin look shiny but damages its surface and can sharply lower its collector value.
Repairing damage: Filling holes or smoothing scratches to hide problems.

Read the full story: Real or Fake? An 1802 Bust Half Dollar Case Study

Ways to Test the Authenticity of a Coin

Visual test: Look at the coin under magnification. Fakes usually lack the fine detail of a coin struck by the Mint. Don’t forget the edge, the “third side” of a coin.
Magnet test: Gold and silver coins aren’t magnetic. If a gold or silver coin sticks to a magnet, it’s fake.
Weight test: Weigh the coin on a scale that reads to at least a tenth of a gram and compare it with the official weight.
Chemical test: Also called an “acid test.” It checks the metal but can damage the coin.
Sound test: Also called a “ring test.” Genuine gold and silver coins give a clear, bell-like ring when tapped.
Specific gravity test: Compares the coin’s weight in air with its weight in water to check its density.
Fire assay: Melts the coin to measure its metal content. It destroys the coin.
Expert authentication: Send photos to our coin authentication service for a free opinion.

Not sure about a coin? Send us photos for a free opinion.

Text Photos: 720-600-4740 Email: staff@americanrarities.com Free Appraisal Form

Fake Coins and the Grading Services

The major grading services, PCGS, NGC and ANACS, have long led the fight against fake coins, and buying coins they have certified is one of the best ways to protect yourself. Still, no grading service is foolproof, and counterfeiters now fake the plastic holders (slabs) as well as the coins. Always look up the certification number and compare the coin and label with the service’s photos.

Verify a certified coin:
PCGS Cert Verification
NGC Cert Lookup
ANACS Cert Verification

Collecting Fake Coins as a Hobby?

Some collectors seek out famous fakes for study and education. A few counterfeits and copies have become well known, such as the “Omega” counterfeit Saint-Gaudens double eagles, named for the tiny Greek letter the counterfeiter hid in the design, and Kroll copies of California fractional gold.

Fake Morgan dollars with a “micro O” mint mark were convincing enough that some were certified before the grading services caught on. See more examples in our Fake Coin Pictures gallery.

Are Counterfeit Coins Worth Anything?

Usually not. A counterfeit has no collector value, and most are made of base metal even when they look like gold or silver. It is illegal to sell a counterfeit as genuine, and under the Hobby Protection Act, replicas made in or brought into the U.S. must be marked “COPY.”

A few old counterfeits made to circulate in their own day, such as gold-plated 1883 “racketeer” nickels, are collected as curiosities, but they are worth far less than the real coin. If you aren’t sure whether a coin is real, don’t sell it as genuine until it has been checked. Send us photos for a free opinion, and if it is genuine, we’ll make you a written offer.

Protect Yourself from Counterfeit Coins

Learn the basics. There is no substitute for knowledge. Good places to start are the American Numismatic Association, Coin World and Numismatic News.
Buy from reputable dealers who guarantee authenticity, and be wary of deals that look too good to be true, especially from unknown sellers online.
Buy certified coins from PCGS, NGC or ANACS, and verify the certification number.
Get a second opinion. Send photos of your coins to our coin authentication service.