🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Coin ID help, please.

[fyrffytr1]

I found this coin while going through some more of my brother's stuff. It is a counterfeit five dollar gold coin. I was wondering what the base metal is and if the coin is a period fake or modern.

 

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[ToddsPoint]

Other than the fact it doesn’t look like gold, it’s a pretty convincing fake otherwise. They got the slant 5’s right. Nickel is the easiest metal to gold plate. If a counterfeiter had dies that quality, they could surely obtain nickel planchets and gold plate them after striking them. Is there any sign of gold wash or plating?

 

[ToddsPoint]

The more I look at that coin…are you sure it’s not gold with some sort of strange patina? A scale will tell the truth. A $5 gold 1855 should weigh
8.359 grams. The details just look so good on both sides, I’m not an expert but I don’t see any obvious red flags.

 

[Mackaydon]

I don't know about the 1855 but the 1940 is a winner; the year of my birth.
Don in SoCal.

 

[fyrffytr1]

The more I look at that coin…are you sure it’s not gold with some sort of strange patina? A scale will tell the truth. A $5 gold 1855 should weigh
8.359 grams. The details just look so good on both sides, I’m not an expert but I don’t see any obvious red flags.

It weighs 5.43 grams

 

[fyrffytr1]

The more I look at that coin…are you sure it’s not gold with some sort of strange patina? A scale will tell the truth. A $5 gold 1855 should weigh
8.359 grams. The details just look so good on both sides, I’m not an expert but I don’t see any obvious red flags.

There are faint remnants of a gold wash on it. There is a group on Facebook about counterfeits. They told me it was a silver planchet.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Pretty amazing fake. I think early counterfeit coins have some value. Don’t sell it too cheap.

 

[fyrffytr1]

I don't sell anything but it would be nice to know what it is worth.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Here is the original. No clue about fakes.

1855 $5 (Regular Strike) Liberty Head $5 - PCGS CoinFacts

The designer was Christian Gobrecht for PCGS #8261. Visit to see edge, weight, diameter, auction records, price guide values and more for this coin.

www.pcgs.com

 

[fyrffytr1]

According to folks on a counterfeit coin Facebook page this is worth about $75-$100 with the hole in it. If it wasn't holed it would be worth up to $200.

 

[ModernMiner]

I don't know about the 1855 but the 1940 is a winner; the year of my birth.
Don in SoCal.

Wow Don, I didn't realize they had coins that far back.
-MM-

 

[Mackaydon]

MM,
Best time to collect US coins was in the '50s. Glad I was there--and collecting.
Don in SoCal.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Before the civil war there were more counterfeits than genuine coins in circulation. I dont doubt that’s a period counterfeit and a very good one at that! Gold plated it would’ve been perfectly convincing