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How Can I Tell If My Peace Silver Dollar Is Real?

Legitimate silver Peace Dollars carry a large premium over their face value, in part because of their silver content. This remains true even if the coin is in poor physical condition. However, counterfeit Peace Dollars also exist, and these are worth virtually nothing. It is very frustrating to find out that a coin you thought was valuable is not authentic. Learning to identify counterfeit coins is a vital skill for serious coin collectors.

Things You'll Need

Magnifying glass
Ruler
Scale
Authentic Peace Dollar or a detailed photo

Instructions

- 1
  Find the date on the peace dollar. Peace Dollars were only minted between 1921 and 1928, and then and run was struck from 1934 to 1935. A Peace Dollar with any other date is a fake.
- 2
  Compare the Peace Dollar in question with an authentic Peace Dollar if possible. Use a detailed picture in lieu of an actual coin in an authentic Peace dollar is not available. Using a magnifying glass can make this process much easier. Pay special attention to the style of the numbers and lettering on both sides of the coin. If you see any discrepancies, the coin in question is counterfeit
- 3
  Measure the diameter of the Peace Dollar with a ruler. A real Peace Dollar will measure 38.1 mm. Any difference of more than a full millimeter is a sign that the coin is counterfeit.
- 4
  Weigh the peace dollar on a scale. Peace Dollars should weigh 26.73 grams. A very well worn coin may weigh slightly less than this, but any major weight difference is proof that the coin is fake. Weight is one of the best ways to tell if a coin is real, because counterfeiters tend to have trouble accurately reproducing the weight of a real coin.

Coin Collecting