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How to Tell If a Coin Is Counterfeit?

Coin collecting is a hobby that combines history, money and materials. Identifying authentic coins involves a deep understanding of the history of coins as well as the characteristics of coin manufacturing and design. It can be difficult to assess whether a coin is legitimate, especially when shopping online for rare and valuable coins. There are a few things you can do to detect a counterfeit.

Instructions

- 1
  Compare the aesthetic qualities of the coin in question to one verified as authentic. This gives you the ability to directly compare dates, markings and other visual features.
- 2
  Examine the railings on the coin. Coins with a value over five cents have small corrugations around the entire diameter of the coin. Counterfeit coins may have irregular railings, no railings or large gaps in between the railings.
- 3
  Cross-reference the date on the coin with the known dates of production for that coin. For instance, the Susan B. Anthony coin was printed in the United States from 1979 to 1981. If you are purchasing this coin and the date does not fall in this production cycle, it is likely a counterfeit.
- 4
  Weigh the coin against an authentic version of the same coin. The materials used in coin-making are very specific and have changed over the course of production; if the coin you are looking at weighs substantially more or less than an authentic coin of the same type, it may be a counterfeit.

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