Expert: Dmitry Livshits - 9/10/2011

Question
QUESTION: hey,

Somewhere around 8 years ago my grandfather gave me an old silver Chinese coin he said he bought for a couple bucks from a flea market. He used to be a silversmith and could is almost positive this coin was mainly composed of silver.  He has been a collector since he was a child, he is now 92 years old, but he is most knowledgeable in the field of US coins, so he knew nothing about this coin. Its been sitting around for a while now and every so often I attempt to look it up on the computer but i typically cannot find anything. Until today. I never understood why my coin has English around the Chinese characters on the reverse, and Chinese characters around the dragon on the front. I found this article

http://www.paulfrasercollectibles.com/$180,000-for-a-Chinese-coin-series-missed-

and I super imposed the photograph, printed it out on high gloss paper and did an extremely detailed inspection of the similarities and differences among the coins. The only thing I was able to notice was that the coin on the website is in a little bit of a better condition. A few things, one how can I be positive my coin is the one i think it is? If in fact it is this coin, what should I do? How do i determine the value. And lastly if god forbid its unauthentic, how so?

Thanks so much
Mike

ANSWER: Hi Michael,
The quickest way to get an idea is to weight it. If the coin is not heavily worn and weighs in significantly less than 26.7 grams, then it's one the typical modern counterfeits that are found at every flea market in NY. I live in NYC and every flea market I've been to in the past 15 or so years had at least one person selling these modern coins as novelty pieces for a couple of dollars each. Considering that the coin in the article is a very rare specimen that never entered circulation, I think it's highly unlikely your grandfather came across a coin that today is worth half a million dollars or more.
If the weight is correct you may have a solid silver replica, which would at least have some value. The typical modern counterfeits are not silver, but a mix of alloys that have been designed to mimic the appearance of silver. These alloys are less dense, so the counterfeits end up being lighter in weight despite being the same size as the real thing.
Also, the condition issue you mention is likely due to weakness in the design. Original coins are struck and have a sharp, high profile design. The counterfeits are cast in a mold and are much flatter in their design, sometimes with design details missing.
Thanks for the question! =)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I weighted the coin on a scale with the coin on one side and 26 regular one gram paperclips and one small paper clip that i figured would way a little less than a gram. The scale reached a perfect balance. I've attached two pictures of the coin to help you in determining what this may be, and if it in fact may be the rare Kwang Tung 7.2 Mace with the original reverse design. Thanks again sir.

Michael Levin

Answer
Generally a coin would have to be weighed on an accurate digital scale, since the difference between a fake and a genuine coin can come down to just a couple tenths of a gram. A balance scale is just not sensitive enough.
The picture is very telling. Unfortunately I can say with certainty that this coin is cast rather than struck and is not made of solid silver as the genuine coins like this are.
I can tell it's cast because the design features are very flat, or low-profile to the point where some of the design almost blends in to the fields around them. Also, the dots/denticles around the rim are highly irregular.
I can tell it's not silver by the color, texture and reflectivity of the surface. This material is an alloy commonly used for modern copies and fantasy pieces. It imitate the color of silver fairly well, but is much more dull and rougher in texture.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but keep in mind that a genuine coin of that type is virtually impossible to find under any circumstances.
Thanks again for the question!