How to distinguish a silver coin from a fake. Copies of coins. How to distinguish a fake? How to distinguish a copy of a coin from the original

A remake coin (a coin of a special coinage, a reissue coin, a remake) is a fake coin, but with its own specifics.

They are made using dies that were either actually once used in the manufacture of coins, or they were made specifically for collectors or replenishment of exhibitions.

Replicas are also called coins that were issued outside the state mints, but with genuine stamps. Reissue coins are not normally used in circulation.

What are these coins?

Occasionally, out of ignorance, fakes are also considered replicas, and the professionalism of their manufacture is often such that even experienced numismatists cannot understand what is in front of them - a remake or a copy made by a fraudster.

From a historical point of view, a coin of a special mint is the same fake, albeit made with the approval of the mint. They are often used to fool novice collectors. That is why they should be considered separately from both fake and original coin and be able to tell them apart if they meet.

Signs of new coins

The remake has, but not always, signs by which they can be distinguished from the original:

1. Newly made stamps rarely exactly copy the design of the original. If the difference is established, then it is worth determining from the catalogs whether it is a rough fake or a remake.
2. Fantastic remakes. Most often, such reissue coins are made using unpaired dies.
3. The remake and the original differ in fineness or alloy. For re-issued coins, which must be made of valuable materials, no special alloys are made, they are made in the alloy available at the time of minting.
4. The original from the remake can be distinguished by different weights. At the same time, the mass of originals made of gold, silver and their alloys was always carefully controlled. But there are exceptions. Coins made of copper, which were issued before the times of the USSR, could seriously deviate from the standard mass by weight.
5. Replicas very often do not have patina or scratches, their surface is smooth. Only some of the gold and silver coins were polished. Copper genuine coins mostly have a damaged surface.
6. Replicas are most often made without a herd, less often - with a herd that does not correspond to the original, or a remake is hand-made. You can distinguish some replicas from the original by the letter H on the edge.
7. There are special replicas that do not have the corresponding originals. For example, copper coins different denominations from 1806, while this year only five-kopeck coins were made of copper.

If the remake was minted on blanks of the same metal and with the same stamps as the original, then such a fake is often impossible to distinguish.

Such is, say, the "Gangut" ruble. The original was released in 1914, the remake was already in the USSR in 1927, but most of the rubles known now are remakes, and they were made using genuine stamps, with the correct edge and from material, weight and breakdown corresponding to the original.

Also, some coins that retain the appearance of the original, but at the same time the actual date of issue is affixed to them, are not considered remakes.

For example, the gold chervonets "Sower", issued in the USSR in 1923, were also produced in the period from 1976 to 1982, and a million such chervonets were produced annually. Technically, the Sower is a remake, but it was recognized by the State Bank of the USSR, and the Bank of Russia is now recognized as a means of payment.

Some originals are generally impossible to get into the collection - they either did not survive, or were not produced at all.

This is a very rare case, in addition to the “Ganut” ruble, there are only six such remakes: 50 kopecks made of silver from 1699; 2 rubles made of silver, issued in 1722 and 1726; copper coins of one-sided coinage of 1760 in 10 and 4 kopecks, as well as 1/2 kopecks; silver ruble 1827.

In general, in the 18th-19th centuries, remakes were produced on a small scale, but at the same time they were of very high quality. Collecting was a popular hobby among the nobles.

Many collectors from the royal entourage, using their connections, ordered the printing of coins of a special coinage at mints.

As such, the release ban collectible coins, not participating in the turnover, did not exist. Many numismatists-scientists were against remakes, and in 1890 Alexander III signed a decree prohibiting their release. However, not everyone complied with the order. Were secretly released half a "Reichel" and 1699, as well as "Konstantinovsky" ruble.

Newly made coins in the history of the USSR

Later, in the USSR, the Soviet government repeatedly printed re-issued coins with the design of gold five- and ten-rouble notes of the tsarist era, which hypothetically could be useful for settlements with foreign countries that did not recognize the Soviet currency.

Around the same time, in 1927, the mints of the USSR began to issue remakes of a large number of coins (for some of them the number has not yet been established, it is just known that they minted a lot of them) for sale to collectors.

They were sold through numismatic auctions held by the Soviet Philatelic Association, but their price per set was high, and they were mostly bought not by citizens of the USSR, but by foreign collectors, often they went as gifts to foreign politicians.

Already in the 30s in the USSR they stopped issuing coins of a special coinage.

In 1955, after the resumption of production of replicas, complete sets of USSR coins of 1931-52 were issued, with a circulation of about 50 copies.

In the 80s, in addition to the "Sower", the USSR produced "Soviet commemorative and commemorative coins denomination of 1 ruble, improved quality.

The attitude of numismatists to remakes is not always good, many consider them fakes, since they do not have historical value. However, they have collectible value. Therefore, replicas of a rare gold coin lose to it in price, and rare replicas of a decent preservation of a widespread coin will be more expensive.

Andrew Hoffman, director of marketing at Miles Franklin (USA), takes a detailed look at the topic of counterfeit coins, which worries many investors.

Until recently in our business, - says the expert in the article “Fake coins? You get what you pay for ”- it was very rare to find a fake, especially a fake denominated one-ounce coin. It's about about gold, of course. Counterfeiting silver is not yet profitable - the price is not high enough, and platinum is too rare a metal with a small supply channel.

For the first time we came across a fake one ounce gold coin recently. Although "fakes" (all from China) have met before, but no one has yet tried to pass off as pure gold"gilded" copies - quite real gold coins were simply presented as numismatic.

But time goes by, new technologies appear, and with them new opportunities for scammers. Before I warn you against buying large (more than 10 ounces) denominated bars from non-state mints, I want to remind you of the risks that you expose yourself to when purchasing gold from unverified sellers who do not guarantee the authenticity of their product. Miles Franklin is one of the 27 main US Mint dealers, we work with the world's largest and most reputable wholesalers, we sell only new government products, so the probability of purchasing a coin of questionable quality from us is zero.

To make it easier to understand what you should pay attention to, in terms of counterfeiting, when buying gold coins, below I will give excerpts from a great article. Sean Broadrick, resource strategist Oxford Club, an organization of which our company has been a branch for many years, which, of course, we are very proud of. And then I will tell you how our main distributor detects counterfeit coins. Let's start with an article by Sean Broadrick titled “Investing in gold? Then this is a warning for you.".

Emergency warning...

DO NOT buy gold coins from eBay, Craigslist, or any other seller that does NOT guarantee authenticity. The market is flooded with Chinese fakes. Do you think you've found a super deal on eBay? In the end, it may not be so great.

“Fake coins have been coming out of China for some time now,” says a numismatist at a leading gold dealer. “Most Chinese fakes end up in the hands of unscrupulous distributors through sites like Alibaba.”

Fraudsters usually sell their goods over the Internet. Previously, the Chinese only counterfeited "rare" gold coins. Copies of coins with numismatic value were made from real gold. Today, the Chinese are chasing volumes. Their "gold coins" are made from lead, zinc, and most often tungsten. And therein lies the problem. Tungsten has a very high density. It is very similar in density to gold. What's more, some of the Chinese forgeries are surprisingly well made. With the help of a laser, an exact copy is created, which does not differ in appearance and shape from a real coin. In the old days, it was easy for dealers to tell a fake by weight, color, and how the coin reflects light. Today's tungsten coins from China are very hard to spot from a distance. Especially if the coin is also covered with gold.

“There are hundreds of thousands of these coins,” Scott Schechter, vice president of coin appraisal services, Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, told the press. “They are everywhere.”

Chinese factories are working day and night, producing fake coins by the thousands., including the American Silver Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf, and American Buffalo. They sell them everywhere: from flea markets to eBay and Craigslist. In most cases, you should be alerted by too favorable terms of the transaction. Or the price should be embarrassing - too low compared to the prices of well-known dealers. Otherwise, you can shell out a tidy sum for a simple tungsten coin.

How to Avoid Counterfeit Coins

In the gold market, fakes made of tungsten have also been encountered before. In September 2012, several 10 oz tungsten gold bars were reported bought and sold in New York's jewelry district. So the Chinese have been doing this for years. You can even say they are starting to get impudent. Here's an example for you: there is such a company, China Tungsten Online, which sells "gold-plated tungsten coins" via the Internet. Quote from the site: “All our products are souvenirs and are purely decorative. Warning: Do not use our gold-plated tungsten coins for illegal purposes." I'm sure these words are just for cover.

You might be thinking, “Sean makes a big deal out of molehills. I will continue to buy coins on eBay, but only from trusted sellers with a good reputation.” Hey, do you really think that reputation on eBay can not be raised or faked. And if you get into a dispute with a Chinese scammer on eBay, then eBay is unlikely to stand up for you.

The good news is that scammers can be dealt with. Even if you do not take any emergency measures, you can still ...

Find dealer information. If the person has been out of business for at least 10 years, find another dealer.

Find out if the dealer is taking any action to detect fakes. You must be sure that the seller has never, even by accident, sold counterfeit coins.

Make sure the dealer guarantees the authenticity of every coin they sell. If not, keep looking.

Modern technologies to help you

Fortunately, there is a new device on the market called Precious metal tester or PMV (Precious Metals Verifier). PMV is manufactured by Sigma Metalytics. The device is designed specifically to recognize fakes. How it works: PMV validates a coin's authenticity based on known resistance or specific electrical resistance inherent in a particular fine metal. PMV is convenient and safe: it does its job perfectly, even if the coin is under the album film or in a plastic case. “We sell testers to our customers, but more often to other coin sellers,” added Mr. Millman. My advice to you: PMV, of course, is cheaper than an ounce of gold, but still the pleasure is not cheap. If you are not a professional, then it is better to entrust the check to a dealer with a good reputation.

Pay Special attention in my words, I knowingly highlighted them in bold: “Most of the time you should be wary of overly favorable deal terms. Or the price should be embarrassing - too low compared to the prices of well-known dealers. And once again, if someone in an industry that offers goods, not services, is systematically selling at prices lower than the main dealers like Miles Franklin, beware - only we have the opportunity to buy gold at the lowest prices. In other words, you can easily fall for the bait "Tulving"; Bullion Direct; or "Northwest Territorial Mint". And if you buy online from unverified sources, sooner or later you will become a victim of counterfeiters.

And as a bonus - I assure you, you will not read this anywhere else - I will tell you what our main distributor, who has been working with Miles Franklin for several decades, replied to my question about the fight against counterfeiting. Rather, I asked him to tell him how they managed to recognize not so long ago two fake Krugerrands, which, as you understand, came to them not from the Mint of South Africa, but from the "secondary market". It will take a little time to read, but a lot of benefits ...

"We are proud of what we can recognize counterfeit gold and silver coins and bars. We have the latest technologies in our arsenal, including electrical resistivity and radiographic testing, X-ray analysis, ultrasound, as well as a well-trained eye thanks to many years of experience.

First of all, we buy gold coins and bars directly from refiners, as well as private and public mints. However, in mind high activity on the secondary market, we try to participate in these gold auctions, and this inevitably ends with the purchase of metal from “secondary” sources. Since the market forms a gap in the "official" supply chain, it is our company policy to conduct special quality control of all goods purchased in the "secondary market".

Not too long ago, an out-of-state dealer sold us several dozen 1-ounce gold Krugerrands. The first check showed some inconsistencies in the composition of the coins, so the entire batch was sent for additional control.

One of these two coins is counterfeit. Can you identify which one?

The coin on the right did not arouse any suspicion in the Sigma Metalytics resistance tester, but the coin on the left did not even pass this preliminary stage. Note that the coin on the left has a more "golden" hue compared to the one on the right.

The suspicious coin was then subjected to X-ray spectral analysis, making the molecular analysis of the scanned metal down to 10 microns in depth. Note that the left Krugerrand is 97.49% pure, which is well above the 91.67% purity of the real coin. The screen also appeared the inscription "Gold Plate Suspect" (suspicion of gilding).

In addition, when dropped on a hard wooden surface, a counterfeit coin makes a dull sound. The real Krugerrand falls very loudly. Convinced that we did not have a real Krugerrand on our hands, we decided to cut it and look inside.

By aiming an X-ray beam at the cut, we were able to see what was really the coin disk is made of germanium, nickel, zinc and copper. The top of the coin was covered with a thick layer of gold and copper. By gilding, they apparently tried to achieve a purity of 91.67%, but the still imperfect technique failed. But even if they had succeeded, the coin would never have passed the electrical resistance and knock-on-drop test.

However, everyone admitted that the fake was a success. Thickness, diameter, weight - 100% match with the original. The traditional Fisch tester, which measures these parameters, was fooled and showed exactly 33.9 g on the scales.

Of the 40 coins sold to us, two turned out to be counterfeit.

The next photo is a fake on the left. As you can see, the beard and hair are not drawn at all. It's all about the technology of minting. Despite all its perfection, details are still drawn more clearly on a real coin.

However, this coin was almost entirely made of gold. However, the purity was a couple of percent lower than it should have been. I still don't understand the meaning of this fake. Such a worthy copy could turn out to be one in 100 coins.

I really hope that from my article you will understand not only that investing in gold is inevitably associated with high risk, but also how easy it is to avoid these risks if you are more attentive to those with whom you are dealing. Don't forget the simple law of life, especially when investing your hard-earned money - “What you paid for, you got!”

In our time, a rare numismatic forum does without a day when the topic of evaluating a handful of metal circles, reminiscent of silver rubles, acquired on the occasion from a shopping center, would not appear on its open spaces. And the phrase "the old house was dismantled" has already become a household word. Members of the forum easily debunk copies masquerading as old coins. But everyone remembers that in the world there are such high-quality fakes that can deceive him too. Any numismatist with experience has developed his own algorithm of experience in detecting counterfeit coins made to the detriment of collectors. But expert opinion still carries a lot of weight. This article is based on the recommendations proposed by Vasily Vasilyevich Uzdenikov, whose surname is well known to everyone who came across issues of coinage in Tsarist Russia.

Vasily Vasilyevich divides fakes into two main groups according to the method of making "coins". This is chasing with fake stamps, made on the model of genuine stamps, and high-precision casting, where obviously genuine coins served for the molds.

Weight and overall characteristics

Before detailed research, it is worth weeding out coins whose characteristics fall outside the permissible values. To do this, we measure the mass of the object under study on high-precision (up to hundredths of a gram) scales, measure (up to tenths of a millimeter) the diameter (a caliper is suitable for this) and thickness (along the edge of the circle in places free from flash).

The weight of our coin should be compared not with the value indicated in the catalogs, but with the known values ​​of real originals. Gold and silver coins are often overweight, and this does not make them counterfeit. And copper coins until the middle of the nineteenth century have an even greater spread. Worn out or fragmented specimens, of course, will show less weight, and the correction must be taken into account. But with a significant deviation from the norm, the suspicion of the illegitimacy of the coin increases significantly. Even here there are exceptions (for example, silver kopeck pieces of the period 1742-1796).

Measurements with a caliper will not help us in any way if our coin is minted without a printed ring. When minting in a printed ring, you need to look at the date. If the year on the coin is earlier than 1886, then it is better to use the reference coin, and not the subtracted characteristics. But starting from 1886, the coins are already quite consistent with the normative values. The thickness of the coins minted in the ring is also better correlated with the standard. To select a standard, follow the rule: "The standard must be minted in the same year and at the same mint as the coin in question." Otherwise, surprises are possible, since the rings could differ at different mints. You should be worried if our coin is minted in a ring and at the same time does not match the standard by 0.3 - 0.5 millimeters. It should be remembered about the coins that have been re-coined. They have an increased diameter and a reduced thickness.

coin alloy

When those who do not fit into basic characteristics the specimens are separated, the rest are determined by the alloy methods that do not allow damage to the coin. It is best to use the X-ray fluorescence method. If access to such a technique is not expected, you can try hydrostatic weighing of the coin.

Two-component alloys until 1718, when their legislative approval took place, the percentage was rarely kept. Silver was especially unlucky. However, a significant deviation in the value of the sample should alert the researcher. Increased attention here should be given to gold coins, the counterfeiting of which has always delivered substantial profits to counterfeiters.

An interesting case is presented by Siberian coins made of Kolyvan copper, where both silver and gold were added to the copper base. The absence of at least one of the indicated metals shows that we have a fake or (in very rare cases) a remake. But here, of course, we are not talking about sample coins of 1763 and 1764 of the St. Petersburg Mint, for which ordinary copper blanks were used. Unfortunately, the three-component alloy does not allow us to apply hydrostatic weighing.

The study of the edge and elements of the pattern

Coins, whose alloy did not arouse suspicion, are examined under high magnification, having at hand a detailed drawing of a obviously genuine coin. Here we will reveal the identity of the elements of our coin with the reference coin. At the same stage, we can detect signs that are already known on counterfeit coins. Of course, it will be disappointing to see them on your own coin, but that's what the examination is for. Unfortunately, the choice of a reference coin is often difficult (for example, one can cite rubles and half coins from the period 1718-1722). Here Uzdenikov recommends taking two standards. The first one, which most closely matches the design of the reverse and obverse. The second, which would correspond to the coin under study according to the edge inscription.

Chasing with fake stamps will show us deviations in the small details of the elements of the coin field pattern. Casting copies the original stamp with amazing accuracy. But here we can find signs of foundry technology: casting shells, convex dots, insufficient elaboration of details (most often hair is not obtained in a portrait), the absence of a clearly marked right angle for the transition of convex letters and numbers to the surface of the coin, the "wrong" surface texture (matte instead of polished).

After comparing the standard and our coin, we will find out the identity of the edge inscription in the text, symbols, decorative details and the configuration of letters and numbers. At the same time, we will check the coincidence of the notch pitch, its direction and the angle of inclination. Vasily Vasilyevich draws attention to the fact that the edge with a straight notch in fakes is characterized by sharper ribs than in the originals. After the research, it becomes clear to anyone why, when recognizing authenticity, numismatists react very sharply to the absence of snapshots of the edge.

Separately, there is the issue of remake coins, which are made by mints using genuine or specially made stamps. Differences from the originals are observed in a significant discrepancy between the weight and/or sample precious metal. A good sign of a remake are traces of destruction or corrosion of the stamp. Often, the edge notch of newly made coins was rolled by hand, and this is noticeable. Remakes often have a sign of improved coinage - a polished surface, while circulating coins with a similar surface have not been noticed. Remember: the conclusion about the counterfeit nature of the coin is made on the basis of a combination of several probable signs.

Let's test the theory with practice

For an example of identifying an "illegitimate" copy, Uzdenikov considers the examination of the "family ruble". This is a silver one and a half ruble-ten-zlotovik of 1836 with portraits of members of the imperial family (for example, we show in the illustration above replica-original from one of the auctions). A variant of the sign of the engraver (Pavel Utkin) was a pair of letters "PU". During the examination, a group of convex dots, very similar to traces of corrosion, was revealed in the middle right section of the obverse field. As you remember, the corrosion of the stamp suggests the remake nature of the coin. It is known that a fairly large number of remakes were produced with genuine stamps. When compared with remakes from the Historical Museum, it was noted that there were no signs of corrosion of the stamps on the museum coins. So fake? Confirm early! After all, the specimen under study could be minted later than museum specimens. An interesting feature was revealed here: replicas from the museum have an influx of metal in the lower right area of ​​the obverse. This is a sign of destruction of the area of ​​the working surface of the stamp. But on the studied coin there is no influx. Now we can conclude. If the suspicious coin was minted later than the museum ones, then where is the trace of the initial destruction of the stamp, which characterizes the specimens from the museum? And earlier it could not be minted, since no traces of stamp corrosion were noticed on the museum ones. The experts' verdict was as follows: "In the manufacture of the examined coin, genuine dies were not used, and convex dotted formations on the field of its obverse arose as a result of casting it into a defective mold."

Without exaggeration, we can say that counterfeiting is as old as the world: almost simultaneously, their fakes appeared. Among numismatists, it is customary to separate two terms: counterfeit coins are coins that were made for sale as an antique value, and counterfeit coins, made with the aim of illegally launching them into circulation. However, if a fake old coins sometimes is a figment of the imagination of its creator, then a counterfeit coin completely repeats appearance prototype coins.

Counterfeit coins were cast using specially made molds from gold and silver of a lower standard, or from copper and bronze, on which a layer of gilding or silvering was then applied. So, for example, coins were found made back in the 6th century. BC, which completely repeated the Aegina coins, but were made not of silver, but of copper with a thin layer of silver coating. These coins are considered to be the first fakes, and, according to experts, their workmanship is of very high quality.

The intentional defacement of coins made of precious metals with the subsequent appropriation of these metals is also considered counterfeiting. So, for example, in the XVI century. u, consisting of silver, often sawed off or cut off pieces of precious metal along the edges. And since the coin had an oval shape, this scam was not very noticeable outwardly. The scale of the distribution of circumcision of coins over time became so significant that it was necessary to take appropriate measures: in Russia they carried out a monetary reform, and the edge (edge) of the coin began to be decorated with inscriptions or notches.

During the period of antiquity and the Middle Ages, counterfeiting was not so rare and flourished during times of war and economic crises. For example, in Europe in the XIII century. many of the feudal lords copied English pence, issuing their own coins, which were called "crocards" and "pollards". After an unsuccessful fight against counterfeiters, King Edward I made a "knight's move", legalizing these fakes and equating them to half a penny. Given that counterfeit coins contained more silver than half a pence, they began to quickly disappear from circulation and were gradually withdrawn.

In history, there are also cases when counterfeit coins were issued by the state itself. The rulers were forced to resort to damage to the coins to reduce their real value due to the lack of money in the state. So, one of the ancient Greek rulers, Polycrates from the city of Samos, ordered to make coins from lead covered with gold in order to pay off the warlike Spartans.

It also happened that the purpose of issuing fakes was to undermine the economy of a hostile state. An example is the war of 1812, during which Napoleon ordered the counterfeiting of Russian money.

In the past, in order to distinguish a coin made entirely of silver from a fake covered with only a thin layer of silver, it was scratched with a knife. What are the ways to do this today?

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