Expert: Dmitry Livshits - 11/6/2009

Question
I recently received about 400 coins from a seller in Germany.  Included in this lot is a coin that looks like a gold, 1892 4 Florin/10 Franc coin (KM# 2260-Austria).  The coin wasn't featured in the listing so I have my doubts that it is authentic.  The coin's value would be about $95, based on the current gold market.  That coin alone would exceed my cost of the entire lot of coins.  The bottom line is, how do I authenticate the coin?  

Answer
Hi Gary,
In my personal experience, the German dealers usually know their stuff quite well. However, this year is a re-strike only date, and has little numismatic value beyond that of the gold. So, if ANY date from this series turns up in a lot, it would most likely be the 1892.
Any jeweler can confirm the authenticity of the coin. Usually they will charge $5 or so for the service, but if they think you want to sell it they will perform the test for free.
You can also check the dimensions. If your coin is 19mm in diameter and weighs 3.2-3.3 grams, you can be confident it's authentic (just check to make sure the coin is not abnormally thick).
Since gold is much more dense than other metals, it would be virtually impossible to change the material while preserving the dimensions.
Let me know what it turns out to be.
Thanks for the question! =)