Counterfeit Coin Articles

China 2015 10 Yuan

September 1, 2026

2 min read

China's lunar coins, including the 2015 Year of the Goat 10 yuan, have anti-counterfeiting features that can help collectors spot fakes.

China 2015 10 Yuan

1799 Eagle

August 4, 2026

2 min read

Inconsistencies with the hair, letters, and denticles give this 1799 eagle of the “Large Obverse Stars” variety away as a fake.

1799 Eagle

1906 Hungary 5 Korona

July 1, 2026

2 min read

A single digit shows that this altered Hungary 5 korona wasn't struck in the year that appears on the coin.

1906 Hungary 5 Korona

Counterfeit Silver on the Rise

June 6, 2026

1 min read

When purchasing silver coins, buy from reputable dealers and don't fall for deals that seem too good to be true.

Counterfeit Silver on the Rise

1797 Half Dollar

June 1, 2026

2 min read

Collectors crave coins from the U.S. Mint’s early days, but this purported 1797 half dollar isn’t one of them.

1797 Half Dollar

Raising the Stakes

May 6, 2026

6 min read

The conflict between bank-note companies and the purveyors of fraudulent substitutes was neverending in the pre-Civil War era.

Raising the Stakes

Self-Published Books

May 6, 2026

5 min read

Steer clear of AI-generated error coin guides that contain questionable information and use deceptive practices to increase sales.

Self-Published Books

1919 Indian Head Half Eagle

May 5, 2026

2 min read

This altered gold coin submitted to NGC bears a year that doesn’t exist in the Indian Head half eagle series.

1919 Indian Head Half Eagle

1885-CC Morgan Dollar

April 1, 2026

2 min read

Numismatic Guaranty Company received a purported 1885-CC Morgan dollar that shows what can go wrong when counterfeiters try to add a mintmark.

1885-CC Morgan Dollar

1914-D Lincoln Cent

March 1, 2026

2 min read

Its color, poor details, and composition indicate that this purported 1914-D Lincoln cent isn’t worth saving.

1914-D Lincoln Cent

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

Counterfeit Detection

China 2015 10 Yuan

1799 Eagle

1906 Hungary 5 Korona

Counterfeit Silver on the Rise

1797 Half Dollar

Raising the Stakes

Self-Published Books

1919 Indian Head Half Eagle

1885-CC Morgan Dollar

1914-D Lincoln Cent

South Africa 1927 Sovereign

1921 Walking Liberty Half Dollar