US Draped Bust Silver Dollar (Heraldic Eagle) (Counterfeit) 1798 to 1804

US Draped Bust Silver Dollar (Heraldic Eagle) (Counterfeit) 1798 to 1804

These are large, heavy, silver coins that run from 1798 to 1804. Most of them are fakes, because genuine coins are so valuable. There are only 15 genuine 1804 dollar coins known to exist. All the rest are counterfeits, and counterfeits are worth zero.

This page addresses counterfeit dollars between 1798 and 1804. If you have a genuine coin, see [THIS PAGE] for approximate values.

In the US we have a law that says all replicas of collectibles must be identified with the word COPY. In China, they have a similar law, but only for Chinese coins. The crooks in China are flooding the market with all sorts of non-Chinese coins without the word COPY. Sooner or later China will grow up as a nation and put a stop to it. But right now counterfeiting is a real problem for coin collectors. And China is not the only culprit.

A good way of quickly identifying a fake is the get a precise weight in grams. Jewelers will often weigh your coin on their precision scales. A genuine silver dollar dated between 1798 and 1804 weighs 26.9 grams. If yours weighs more or less than 26.9 grams, it's a counterfeit.

Sometimes a professional coin authenticator is needed to separate real coins from fakes. These professionals use advanced techniques for their work, including specific gravity tests, microscopic examination, and extensive databases of minute coin details. Final authentication authority comes from PCGS, NGC, ICG, and ANACS. Look them up on the Internet. Do not use other services.

Check the image below:


There are four details a coin authenticator would quickly notice (listed in order of importance):

1 - Strike: The fake coin has mushy details throughout. Compare it to the genuine piece. Nothing on the fake coin comes close to the sharpness and high definition of the genuine coin. Mushy strike is a sure sign of fakeness.

2 - Surfaces: The overall appearance of the fake coin looks un-natural. It does not look like other coins you see in collections or in circulation. The surfaces of the fake coin look washed out, lifeless, and dull.

3 - Lettering: The inscriptions on the two coins match letter for letter. But the form of the letters are markedly different. This is readily apparent in the date, but looking closely at the other letters, all the fake ones are unevenly sized and spaced.

4 - Pattern: Probably the things that match the best between the real and fake coins are the patterns. Miss Liberty and the eagle look very similar, but close inspection reveals marked differences. When checking a coin for authenticity, pay attention to the pattern last. Much more important are the strike, surfaces, and lettering.

Here is another example:


The genuine coin above comes from Stack's Bowers, where it sold for more than $76000 US dollars in a 2014 auction. The fake is worth zero.

With the advent of the COPY law, known as the Hobby Protection Act, interesting new area of coin collecting opened: Legal Reproductions. With COPY tucked neatly into the design, entrepreneurs like respected numismatist Ken Potter started producing coins that most collectors could never dream of owning. Now, for a few dollars, anyone can own an 1804 silver dollar that looks absolutely fantastic. You can see Ken's treasures at his web site Rare Coin Reproductions.

You can see the comparison in the picture below.



CoinQuest thanks Stack's Bowers and Ken Potter for use of their coin images.

Coin: 1368, Genre: United States, Timeline: World
Created (yyyymm): 200908, Last review: 201909
Appearance: Normal round coin Metallic gray Dark metallic Letters: Latin
Years: sort: 1798, filter: 1798 to 1804
Image: us_dollar_fake_1798.jpg

Tags: escutcheon curtain libertatis repro drape shiled silber liberta chevron fake ribbons coat silverish libera liberdad replica crests forges logo sliver heraldic libertao hawk dollare arms drapped eagles star liberty crest drapery starburst clouds eaglets insignia sash chevrons forge creast counterfiet libertas starrs counterfet draped sheild argent bust reproduction forgery dollars liberate stars arm falcon dollar libertad liber shields doller siver crested egals eagel curtains feinsilber silver dol liberte cloud counterfeits drapes eagle coats burst fakes libertate egal shield silb escucheon ribon replicas forger dolls shild counterfeit silba reproductions ribbon

About CoinQuest | Privacy Policy | Contact CoinQuest

Copyright 2009 to 2024 CoinQuest.com, all rights reserved.
Daily visitors 309, minutes per visit 6.2, daily coin views 771


cookie reg id =
db_rg_name =
db_rg_email =
registered = 0