Counterfeit Coin Articles

South Africa 1927 Sovereign

February 1, 2026

2 min read

Several clues, such as the misshapen date and prominent toolmarks, point to this relatively common sovereign being a fake.

South Africa 1927 Sovereign

1921 Walking Liberty Half Dollar

January 1, 2026

2 min read

This purported example of a key date Walking Liberty half dollar has a lot of problems, including its date.

1921 Walking Liberty Half Dollar

1926 Sesquicentennial Gold $2½

December 2, 2025

2 min read

NGC recently received a purported 1926 commemorative gold quarter eagle with a porous look and design inconsistencies.

1926 Sesquicentennial Gold $2½

Counterfeit Fractionals

November 14, 2025

2 min read

Simple designs and limited oversight made 19th-century fractional notes an easy target for counterfeiters.

Counterfeit Fractionals

Russia 1918 Armavir 3 Roubles

November 3, 2025

2 min read

The Armavir 3 roubles can sell for thousands of dollars in mint-state. NGC recently received a purported example made with handmade dies.

Russia 1918 Armavir 3 Roubles

Buyer Beware

October 7, 2025

4 min read

One of the most frustrating obstacles in numismatics is counterfeits, and no place is more notorious for selling them than eBay.

Buyer Beware

Fighting Fakes

October 1, 2025

1 min read

The Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation (ACEF) recognized a collector and a coin dealer with its Alan Kreuzer Memorial Award.

Fighting Fakes

1929 Saint-Gaudens Gold $20

October 1, 2025

2 min read

A closer look at this 1929 Saint-Gaudens double eagle reveals that this fake was created with dies made from scratch.

1929 Saint-Gaudens Gold $20

Italy 1928-R 20 Lire

September 10, 2025

1 min read

Rough surfaces, a wispy date, and missing dots are some of the major clues that indicate this Italy 1928-R 20 lire is a fake.

Italy 1928-R 20 Lire

1920 Walking Liberty Half Dollar

August 5, 2025

1 min read

A fake 1920 Walking Liberty half dollar serves as a reminder that counterfeiters don’t just target key dates.

1920 Walking Liberty Half Dollar

Protecting Consumers from Counterfeits

July 22, 2025

2 min read

The ACEF and 11 other associations penned a joint letter to Congress for anti-counterfeiting awareness measures.

Protecting Consumers from Counterfeits

1878-CC Morgan Dollar

July 14, 2025

2 min read

The reverse of a purported 1878-CC Morgan dollar holds some important clues that point to the coin’s spurious nature.

1878-CC Morgan Dollar

Counterfeit Detection

South Africa 1927 Sovereign

1921 Walking Liberty Half Dollar

1926 Sesquicentennial Gold $2½

Counterfeit Fractionals

Russia 1918 Armavir 3 Roubles

Buyer Beware

Fighting Fakes

1929 Saint-Gaudens Gold $20

Italy 1928-R 20 Lire

1920 Walking Liberty Half Dollar

Protecting Consumers from Counterfeits

1878-CC Morgan Dollar