Expert: Brad Swain - 3/7/2010

Question
I have a coin about the size of a silver dollar.  It has Republique Francaise on one side with the date 1899 and what looks like the statue of liberty sitting down and holding on to something in her right hand (like a scroll or rod), then on the other side are the words Republica Mexicana with the emblem of and eagle with a snake in it's beak standing on a cactus branch.  Can you tell me if it's real or a fake? and what it might be worth?  Thank you.

Answer
Hi Kathleen, sorry, this is a fake. It combines the designs for two different countries, France and Mexico.
Counterfeits and fantasy pieces mass produced in East Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe abound of Chinese and U.S. coins, and many other countries'.
A 'fantasy' piece is when someone creates or hijacks an official design and changes it to suit whatever purpose they imagine that will make the coin interesting enough to sell as a souvenir or conversation piece to someone who is unfamiliar with the genuine pieces.
Chinese counterfeit factory: http://coins.about.com/od/worldcoins/ig/Chinese-Counterfeiting-Ring/Chinese-Fake... .
Brad