What is the perfect crime? An update

[xcopperstax]

Well that's up for debate. A couple posts ago I posted a seated liberty dime that I found. This coin looked unsalvageable with some serious corrosion. First I soaked it in lemon juice. Not much happened. Next I did the aluminum foil boiling water baking soda. Not much difference. Third I took a q-tip,some water and baking soda and just started scrubbing it. It began to clean up quite well but there were some problem areas that wouldn't clean up. After rinsing it off and taking a look I discovered something. I do believe it's a counterfeit! It appears to be some other metal that was dipped in silver or something else... or maybe it was electroplated? Pretty amazing that somebody was making counterfeit dimes... It's really the perfect crime if you think about it. Who would stop to look at a lowly dime? Think about the skill and technology it took to do this back then when many people didn't even have electricity. Was it a lone actor or some kind of criminal ring making thousands of these? You could actually buy a good deal of stuff with a dime back around 1874. A fake dime is pretty neat in my opinion! Here it is with the only other two (authentic) that I've found for comparison. Zoom in to get a good look at it. The other photo is from my previous post.

 

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[secondstar]

Imagine the story behind that coin if it is in fact a counterfeit...

 

[smallfoot]

It does look funky...

 

[Digger RJ]

Nice!!!! Cool!!! Congrats !!!

 

[CTXAgGetter]

I think it's a real dime. Just tarnished more on the higher areas. I am no expert, though. But I do have a seated that had light gray tarnish all over and the only parts that didn't clean up well from a little lemon juice were in a similar pattern to yours.
At any rate, great find!

 

[washingtonian]

I thought it looked funny when you first posted it. I could barely make out the Seated profile.

Does it ring up differently than your other dimes with your detector?

Real or not, it’s a neat piece of history.

 

[creskol]

Cool find! Here is an interesting website on the subject: Contemporary Counterfeits

 

[ToddsPoint]

I just read about the discovery of fake Morgan dollars. Obverse three different dies with different dates in late 1880's with O mint mark. All three dates had the same reverse die. So good they weren't discovered until recently. Made back in the late 1800's or early 1900's. The very best counterfeits never or rarely get discovered. Gary

 

[HCW]

try some toothpaste with baking soda in it. just rub it between thumb and index finger.

 

[A2coins]

That would make for a good find if it is a fake just be glad it wasnt a gold coin lol

 

[GaRebel1861]

Something is up with that coin. I believe you're right that it is a counterfeit. Still it's an awesome find because you don't see that dug or at least posted very often.

 

[Gridwalker306]

Have you looked at it with a jewellers loupe?

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Nice finds!

I have found silver coins that ended up looking like your coin. I'm not sure it's counterfeit , but very cool.

 

[Samanthy]

A counterfeit could be worth more than authentic one.

 

[xcopperstax]

I thought it looked funny when you first posted it. I could barely make out the Seated profile.

Does it ring up differently than your other dimes with your detector?

Real or not, it’s a neat piece of history.

I need to check what it rings up as again.

 

[xcopperstax]

Cool find! Here is an interesting website on the subject: Contemporary Counterfeits

Thanks. I actually did come across this. Fascinating stuff!

 

[xcopperstax]

Something is up with that coin. I believe you're right that it is a counterfeit. Still it's an awesome find because you don't see that dug or at least posted very often.

Thanks I agree... the fact that it's probably counterfeit hints at a really cool history that we will never know... but we can think about it!!!

 

[xcopperstax]

Have you looked at it with a jewellers loupe?

No but I will have it checked out. I have a magnifying glass but even the naked eye can see that there's something off about it.

 

[xcopperstax]

A counterfeit could be worth more than authentic one.

I have no idea what it could be worth but it's really interesting to me that people do study and collect them.

 

[xcopperstax]

I just read about the discovery of fake Morgan dollars. Obverse three different dies with different dates in late 1880's with O mint mark. All three dates had the same reverse die. So good they weren't discovered until recently. Made back in the late 1800's or early 1900's. The very best counterfeits never or rarely get discovered. Gary

I'll try to look that up. Sounds interesting. I think that if the surface of the "coin" wasn't damaged it would be really difficult to even notice as I suspect it was copied off a real coin and not hand engraved to look like one.