COLLECTABLE COUNTERFEIT COINS, PART TWO

Another source of counterfeits are those from China. Up until recently one could purchase Dansco albums from China filled completely with fake coins. Usually these were not the highest quality but were passable. Some of these coins have found their way into the market piecemeal and sometimes are consumed by novice collectors. Although these are not truly collectable counterfeits enough of them wind up in unsuspecting hands that many dealers have bins full of them. Similarly the Chinese seemingly counterfeited just about everything from 1795 dated Trade Dollars to Morgan dollars dated 1877-CC.

One other very collectable counterfeit or "restrike" are those created by Daniel Carr in Colorado. Daniel specializes in striking coins on genuine coin planchets (or overstriking on real coins) those issues that might have existed but for some reason never did. By doing this he avoids any legal issues which would result in striking counterfeits. His coins can only be considered as fantasy pieces such as a 1931-S Standing Liberty Quarter, 1964 Franklin Half Dollar and of course the 1964 Peace Dollar. The 1964 Peace Dollar was actually struck in Denver in 1964 but supposedly all were melted and none exist today. This may or may not be true but according to official government documentation none survived.

I have spoken to several people who have seen one and actually been offered one for sale. However for anyone owning such a coin be advised that if anyone knows about it or or the government hears about it you can certainly expect a visit from the Secret Service at your door. Daniel Carr has literally struck dozens, if not hundreds of fantasy pieces and all are highly collected, some selling for hundreds of dollars. Each has a very limited mintage.

Finally, one additional collectable counterfeit is a series of "Micro O" Morgan silver dollars dated 1896-O, 1900-O and 1902-O Many of these silver dollars were certified by PCGS and other certification services but much later found out to be counterfeits. PCGS made good to the collectors who obtained these fraudulent certified coins who were allowed to return them but some opted to retain these coins and they have been offered as such on the after market by a fairly good sum of money. Even the best collector or service is not perfect.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
Collectable Counterfeit Coins, Part One (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n04a24.html)

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