Detecting Counterfeit and Altered US Coins Flashcards
How long ago has counterfeiting coins has been going on?
2700 year ago
Fourees
Base Metal covered with precious metal of Greece and Rome coins.
Best Known artists to copy coins and medals?
Giovanni Cavino
How many and type of coins did Giovanni Cavino copy?
Over 140 Copies of large Roman bronze coins and various medals
Paudans
A copy of a Roman coin
A Greek counterfeiter
Caprara
How many and when did Caprara counterfeited coins?
Nearly 80 Greek Coins and in the 1820s
What caused the expansion in both the quantity and quality of counterfeiting
largely to Industrial Revolution
Thomas Wyatt Between 1840 and 1860
Who copied nearly all types of the 1652 issues of Massachusetts silver and when?
Montroville Dickenson
In 1850s he counterfeited Sommer Island shillings and 1776 Contnental dollars
Alfred S. Robinson
Who was the Hartford coin dealer of the 1860s, was responsible for nearly a dozen copies of U.S. Colonial and fantasy coins, along with medals?
William Idler
A coin dealer from Philadelphia in 1860s, was responsible for copies of the 1792 Washington half dollar and the Baltimore penny.
John Adams Bolen
An engraver from Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1860s made eight copies of Colonial coins, including the bar cent and Higley copper.
Francis Hennings
Made more than 300,000 counterfeit Jefferson nickels in 1954.
What type of counterfeit gold coins produced in the 1960s and 1970s were considered to be some of the most sophisticated counterfeits of their time.
Omega
Emanuel Ninger- counterfeit 1880 $50 notes
Who was called the “Pen and Ink Counterfeiter”?
What was the most widespread era of counterfeiting in American history?
Civil War
Craftsmen gained what experience during the Civil War to help them create counterfeits?
Minting process by producing trade and Civil War tokens. Casting methods though arms production and bullet moldings.
What did the mint forget to put on the reverse of the 1883- V nickel?
Denomination of the coin
What are the most commonly altered U.S. coins?
1909 S VDB cent and the 1916-D dime.
Weight Scale
A digital scale for weighing coins, with sensitivity to a hundredth of a gram.
Magnification
Most numismatists use a seven to ten power lens or loupe to help with authentication.
Specific Gravity Test
This is a density test that yields a ratio of the coin’s weights to that of an equal volume of water.
Specific Gravity Test Equipment
Specific Gravity Test Math Formula
Who engraved dies for many legitimate early American coins, was convicted of raising the value of 10 penny notes to 10 pounds.
Abel Buel
What is a caliper or micrometer used for?
To measure a coin’s diameter and thickness.
-Measure coins diameter in three or four places and take largest reading.
-Coins made before 1836, didn’t have retaining collars. Take several measurements and average them
Scanning electron microscope
A scanning electron microscope is a type of electron microscope that produces images of a sample by scanning the surface with a focused beam of electrons.
Drawbacks of x-ray analysis
What are the five areas to check in authenticating a coin?
1.- Weight
2.-Diameter
3.- Thinness
4.- Density
5.- Composition
Weight
Diameter and Thickness
Density
Composition
What do genuine U.S. coins have, that counterfeit coins don’t?
Sharp details
Typical Characteristics for Mint Issue
Wear and Circulation
Minting and Striking Characteristics
Edge Characteristics
Planchet Variation
Genuine coins typically have more planchet problems than counterfeit coins. Since U.S. Mint blacking sheet, or strips, are rolled out under pressure, many parallel scratches are visible on the surface of a blank. If the striking pressure is not great enough to remove these striations, they will be visible on the coin. Since counterfeits generally use nearly perfect, polished blanks, the appearance of planchet striations, or scratches, on weakly struck areas of a coin is a good indicator of authenticity.
Tonal Qualities
Mintmark and Date Style
Toning
Consistency
Dies are Distinctive
Die Polish
Die Polish
Die Flow
Loss of Detail
Manufacturing Differences
What was done to coins in the 9th century to prevent clipping.
A small cross was design on the reverse for all English coins
Raised Extra Metal & Repeating Depressions
One-to-one Transfer Dies
Diagnostics of Transfer Die Counterfeits
Spark Erosion Dies
Diagnostics of Spark Erosion Counterfeits
Impact Dies
Impact die counterfeits are relatively rare. Host coins are set into secure mounts, and softened blank metal dies are pressed against the host coins. This is repeated with different host coins until the desired details are imparted on the dies. The dies are then tempered, or hardened, with heat. Such dies are generally of poor quality. Usually it is only the center of the die that has the proper detail, while towards the rim, the detail because more eroded. Impact dies are made from scarce, rather than rare coins, due to the destruction of host coins.
Diagnostics of Impact Die Counterfeits
Cast Dies
Diagnostics of Cast Die Counterfeits
Hand-Cut Dies
Electrotype
Electrotype Process
Roman Plated Coins
Diagnostics of Electrotypes
Casting
Lost Was Process
Centrifugal Castings
Diagnostics of Cast Counterfeits
George Cruikshank
Vacuum Castings
Diagnostics of Vacuum Castings
Repairs
Whizzing
What period were most U.S. Coins mintmark alternated
Late 1950s and early 1960s
Embossed Mintmarks
1795 Large Cent Diagnostics
1815 Large Cent Date Alteration
Bungtown Token
1856 Flying Eagle Cent Date Alteration
1856 Flying Eagle Cent
1909-S VDB Cent Mintmark Addition
1909-S VDB Cent Mintmark Addition
Evasions
1931-S Cent Date Alteration
1931-S Cent Date Alteration
World War II counterfeit
During the Civil War, the North issued what to replace scarce coins?
Counterfeit Gold Coins
Counterfeit Gold Coins
Treasury’s Money Laundry
Conclusion of Counterfeit Coins
