Expert: Dmitry Livshits - 4/10/2010

Question
I have a Liberty double eagle with the motto,it is dated 1907. To the right of the date is a small indented square but I am unable to identify what is inside it. The symbol in the box appears to have 3 pieces to it... the piece on top has a peanut shape,..., there are  two similar sized pieces below that are vertical. The lower left hand piece looks a little like a lower case "r"  (?).  Does this mean anything to you? Might this be a fake??? The coin was purchased about 30 years ago. Any info you may be able to give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Answer
Hi Rosemary,
The small "r" within a diamond typically means that the coin is a re-strike. Please note that a re-strike is not a fake. A re-strike is an official remake of the coin from original dies and from the same exact material. Although it may not have too much collector value, a solid gold re-strike is still worth around $1,100 on the current market. A fake would be virtually worthless and illegal to sell unless it was marked "copy" or "replica".
These re-strikes were made on a couple of occasions in history. The most recent re-striking was a limited number made in 2009 and sold off by the US mint. They were also made as far back as the 1960's.
If you wanted to sell this coin as a re-strike there would be no legal issue since it is stamped.
Thanks for the question! =)