Numismatics is a very interesting way to touch history. It’s just that sometimes funny things happen, and the treasured acquisition has a much shorter history than we would like.
Fake History
With the first money, fakes began to exist. Naturally, counterfeiting is created for the purpose of profit, however, even coins that have gone out of circulation are not immune from the replica.
There are a huge number of ways to counterfeit coins, and the development of technology contributes to this process. If a few hundred years ago it was possible without any difficulty to determine the authenticity of the coin lying in front of you, now it is an incredibly complex process, even for specialists.
Ancient coin fakes
Deprecated money is also of interest to counterfeiters, but in the form of antiques. An inexperienced numismatist is quite capable of acquiring such a counterfeit. Sometimes the quality of the fake is so high that even an experienced eye can be deceived.
For the most part, not very rare coins are subject to copying, the price of which ranges from a couple of tens to hundreds of dollars. This trend has developed in order to mislead novice collectors are not particularly rare and seemingly similar to the original copy.
Royal coins
Copies of royal coins can be found for the most part silver, but there are many gold items. In search of rare silver specimens, it is very likely to stumble upon a fake, because it is very difficult to verify the authenticity.
Copies of coins made of gold are found at times less. For the most part, due to the fact that when buying such a coin, the numismatist will be extremely careful and will protect himself with a detailed check of originality.
Almost all the coins of the tsarist era acquired their copies. Finding copies of coins on the Internet or in an antique shop is not difficult, but reliable sellers with a reputation always indicate a lack of uniqueness.
Replacing the original
In some cases, copies of coins are an alternative option for numismatists. Many coins were issued in small runs or are very expensive and rare. The modern fake of such rare antiques will find its place in the collection. Almost all high-quality fakes will be exactly identical to the original.
In addition to fakes, there are copies issued as a souvenir. The difference between fake and high-quality replicas at a lower price, as well as inconspicuous details. In the manufacture of a fake absolutely all the subtleties are observed, and some elements are specially added or eliminated to the replica.
How to distinguish a fake
It will be difficult for a simple layman to determine if a coin is genuine or not. But there are several basic possibilities for determining a copy of coins.
The easiest option is to compare the coin with the original. In this case, there is a great chance to recognize a fake. Usually the differences are in small details, so it is important to look at the little things.
Sometimes a fake coin is different in color. This is the base copy. Silver coins have a lighter shade, while a bad counterfeit is more like aluminum. More advanced fakes can be made of silver or have a coating of noble metal.
Quite often there are copies of coins of Russia or the Soviet Union, which have more weight than the original. For example, a ruble minted in 1924, in perfect condition, weighs 20 grams, but its counterfeit counterpart is 21. Do not miss the opportunity to lose weight on the original coins during use, but the difference should be insignificant.
Studying the pile is also capable of bearing fruit. Usually a comparison with the original allows you to identify copies of coins. How to distinguish fake using groot? It is very likely that there will be minor inconsistencies with the original coinage on the copy. For an example: sometimes on fakes there is no name of the mintmeister or letters are located unevenly.
Some fakes are misleading with their old look. The appearance of a raid gives the coin solidity and awakens confidence in authenticity. But this trick is quite easy to crank with acid or baking a coin. The result is a patina at home on a recently minted coin.
More problems arise with expensive and rare specimens. Forging such rarities, masters take into account all the details, and it’s simply difficult to determine uniqueness by eye. For such cases, there are various examinations and tests that will help you not run into a fake. For greater reliability when buying coins, you should contact reliable places with an established reputation.
Modern coins are also subject to copying. It may seem strange, but there is also a fake of small coins of Russia, some of which are of great interest to collectors.