Guides · Common Fakes & Counterfeits · Coins guide
Common fakes: coins
Key dates attract the most fakes and altered coins. Know where to look before you bid.
General tips, not authentication. This is an estimate, not an appraisal. When in doubt, use a professional authentication service.
Most common fakes
- Key dates to check first: 1909-S (San Francisco mint) VDB (designer Victor David Brenner's initials) and 1914-D (Denver mint) cents, the 1955 doubled-die cent, the 1916-D Mercury dime, the 1937-D three-legged Buffalo nickel, the 1932-D and 1932-S quarters, the 1889-CC (Carson City mint) and 1893-S Morgan dollars, and the 1921 Peace dollar. Sources: ngccoin.com · usrarecoininvestments.com · keydatecoins.com
- Common alterations include added mint marks and changed dates, such as an 1898-S reworked to read 1893-S, or an 1880–1885-CC reworked to read 1889-CC. Whizzing or cleaning is often used to hide the tooling. Sources: pcgs.com · numismaticnews.net
- Chinese counterfeit Morgan and trade dollars exist in both cast and die-struck forms, and some are very deceptive. Sources: numismaticnews.net · coinworld.com · ngccoin.com
How to spot them
- Mint mark locations: on a 1909-S (San Francisco mint) VDB (designer Victor David Brenner's initials) the S sits below the date and the VDB initials are on the reverse. On a 1916-D dime the D is on the reverse, left of the fasces. On 1932-D and 1932-S quarters the mint mark is on the reverse, below the eagle. Sources: numistrends.net · bestcoin.com
- The 1937-D three-legged nickel was struck from a die that was polished too heavily, so one of the buffalo's legs is missing. Sources: bestcoin.com · usrarecoininvestments.com
- The 1921 Peace dollar was the first year of the series, struck in high relief, and made at Philadelphia only. Sources: pcgs.com · pcgs.com
Tests you can do safely
- Check graded coins' certificate numbers free with Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) or Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC), but a valid number alone isn't proof, since fakes reuse real numbers. Compare the coin to the images on file. Sources: ngccoin.com · psacard.com · fakeslabs.com
When to get it authenticated
- Buy key-date coins already certified by a major grading service. Sources: numismaticnews.net · coinworld.com · ngccoin.com
These guides are general screening tips, not authentication or appraisals. Sources are independent sites we don't control and aren't affiliated with. Sources checked Nov 2, 2026.
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