*** To add your fake to the Numista gallery, send details of your coin by message to pejounet. ***
About forgeries
A common case with fake coins is copying designs that never existed, where the size and weight of the coin are substantially larger or smaller than the right size. These are automatically fakes and are worth only the metal they are minted on.Let's start with copper coins. Usually fake copper coins (from China) have a soapy oxidation to them that is green and tough, but does not eat up the coin. Oftentimes they have scratches surrounding the coin to imitate short but thorough circulation; coins that circulate for long periods are smoother and evenly worn, while fakes have sharp, but worn features. Many fakes, however, are simply restrikes that imitate circulating coins and are intended to deceive buyers. These are usually coins that rarely circulated, or have very high values.
Silver Chinese coins, along with silver trade dollars from the US and Hong Kong are among the most faked coins in the world; luckily they are easy to spot, while some others are harder. The best place to start is to use a magnet. Any coin intended to be silver that is magnetic is automatically a fake, since silver is not magnetic. The second measure to determine a fake silver coin is looking at the rim. The reeding should be consistent, straight, and sharp; they usually reach the top and bottom of the rim. A third factor is weak impressions on the coin; a character may be blurred or unclear, and the design might be unclear around the edges of the coin. Lastly, fake silver coins occasionally have a porous surface, and this can be found by using a magnifying glass.
Another type of fake is a contemporary counterfeit. They have some value, in some cases, more than the real coin itself. Contemporaries usually have crude designs and use brass or tin and nickel instead of copper and silver, respectively. In most cases, contemporaries have much circulation wear throughout the coin.
How to recognize a fake coin?
First of all you should check your coin with a magnet. If your coin is supposed to be in gold, silver, brass, copper or bronze and it is attracted by the magnet you can be sure it's a fake.If your coin passed the magnet test, check the size: diameter and thickness. The weight is more difficult to reproduce exactly if the original coin should be in gold or in silver. A different alloy will produce a big weight difference.
If your coin passed all these tests, take a magnifier and observe the edge, the details and the year, compare the design with the original coin on the Numista page.
If you still hesitate ask for confirmation on the Coin identifications and valuations forum.
The fakes
The characteristics showing that it is a forgery are in red.| Belgium | China | Ecuador | Euros | France | Germany | Greece | Hong Kong | Hungary | Indochina | Italy | Japan | Mexico | Mongolia | Russia | South Africa | Spain | United Kingdom | United States |
|---|
The Gallery
Belgium
| 5 Francs Belgium |  |  |
|---|---|
| Year: | 1869 |
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |
| Ø in mm: | 37 |
| Weight in g: | 20.58 |
| Edge: | reeded |
| Metal: | |
| Magnetic: | yes |
| Crude details. Should be silver. | |
| The real coin on Numista | |
China
| 7 Mace 2 Candareens China - Empire (Jiangnan (Kiangnan)) |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: | |||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm: | 39 | ||
| Weight in g: | 20.99 | ||
| Edge: | reeded | ||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | yes | ||
| Casting look with rust on some places. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 1 Mace 4.4 Candareens China - Empire (Guangdong (Kwangtung)) |  |  | |
| Year: | 1890-1908 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 24 | ||
| Weight in g: | 4.49 | ||
| Edge: | |||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | yes | ||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 1 Yuan - Sun Yat-sen China - Republic |  |  | |
| Year: | 1934 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 39 | ||
| Weight in g: | 26.48 | ||
| Edge: | |||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| Casting. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 1 Yuan Automobile China - Republic (Guizhou (Kweichow)) |  |  | |
| Year: | 17 (1928) | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | |||
| Weight in g: | |||
| Edge: | |||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | yes | ||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 1 Dollar - Yuan Shi-kai China - Republic |  |  | |
| Year: | 3 (1914) | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 38.7 | ||
| Weight in g: | 18.95 | ||
| Edge: | reeded | ||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 1 Dollar - Yuan Shikai (Fat Man Dollar) China - Republic |  |  | |
| Year: | (8) 1919 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 45.39 | ||
| Weight in g: | 37.19 | ||
| Edge: | reeded | ||
| Metal: | Silver | ||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| Good production quality despite poorly reeded edge. Measurements are way off. Patina rubs off by hand. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 1 Dollar Yuan Shikai (Fat Man Dollar) China - Republic |  |  | |
| Year: | (4) 1915 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 38.9 | ||
| Weight in g: | 20.28 | ||
| Edge: | reeded | ||
| Metal: | Steel | ||
| Magnetic: | yes | ||
| Fair production quality despite poorly reeded edge, with rust spots due to ferrous material. Year 4 doesn't exist. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
Ecuador
| 5 Sucres Ecuador |  |  |
|---|---|
| Year: | 1944 |
| Mint/Mint Mark: | Mexico |
| Ø in mm : | 39 |
| Weight in g: | 19 |
| Edge: | |
| Metal: | |
| Magnetic: | yes |
| The real coin on Numista | |
Euros
| 1 Euro (1st map) Italy |  |  |
|---|---|
| Year: | 2002 |
| Mint/Mint Mark: | R |
| Ø in mm : | 23.25 |
| Weight in g: | [b]6 |
| Edge: | segmented reeding |
| Metal: | |
| Magnetic: | yes |
| Notably thinner than the real coin. | |
| The real coin on Numista | |
France
| 5 Francs - Napoleon III France |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: | 1867 BB | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | Bee | ||
| Ø in mm : | 37.5 | ||
| Weight in g: | 22.61 | ||
| Edge: | reeded | ||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 10 Francs - Turin France |  |  | |
| Year: | 1933 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 27.8 | ||
| Weight in g: | 7.62 | ||
| Edge: | reeded | ||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | No | ||
| Gray look of the metal alloy. It has more value than the real coin itself! | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 10 Francs - Turin France |  |  | |
| Year: | 1934 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 28 | ||
| Weight in g: | 7.63 | ||
| Edge: | reeded | ||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| Gray look of the metal alloy. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 10 Francs - Turin France |  |  | |
| Year: | 1938 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 27 | ||
| Weight in g: | 10.00 | ||
| Edge: | |||
| Metal: | bronze-aluminium | ||
| Magnetic: | |||
| The reverse looks soft as if it was casting. The bronze color leaves no doubt that it's a fake. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 20 francs - Turin France |  |  | |
| Year: | 1939 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 35 | ||
| Weight in g: | 20.53 | ||
| Edge: | |||
| Metal: | silver | ||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| Form, place and size of date are not correct. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 10 Francs - Gambetta France |  |  | |
| Year: | 1982 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 26 | ||
| Weight in g: | 9.86 | ||
| Edge: | |||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| More yellow than the original coin, smooth forgery. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 5 Francs - Hercule France |  |  | |
| Year: | |||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | A | ||
| Ø in mm : | 37 | ||
| Weight in g: | 19.45 | ||
| Edge: | sharp | ||
| Metal: | lead or tin | ||
| Magnetic: | No | ||
| Very smooth, very bad forgery. Looks like poor imitation of inscription in relief for the edge. Perhaps a vintage copy. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 5 Francs - Semeuse France |  |  | |
| Year: | 1960 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 29 | ||
| Weight in g: | 9.38 | ||
| Edge: | |||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| Gray color of the alloy. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 5 Francs - Semeuse France |   |  | |
| Year: | 1962 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 29 | ||
| Weight in g: | 10 | ||
| Edge: | reeded | ||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 10 francs - Génie de la Bastille France |  |  | |
| Year: | 1988 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 23 | ||
| Weight in g: | 6 | ||
| Edge: | 5 groups of 12 reeds | ||
| Metal: | bimetallic | ||
| Magnetic: | yes (center) | ||
| Crude forgery, the central part clearly stands out from the ring. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 10 francs - Génie de la Bastille France |  |  | |
| Year: | 1989 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 23 | ||
| Weight in g: | 6.51 | ||
| Edge: | 5 groups of 12 reeds | ||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | yes | ||
| Reeds very soft. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 10 francs - Génie de la Bastille France |  |  | |
| Year: | 1990 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 23 | ||
| Weight in g: | 6 | ||
| Edge: | 5 groups of 12 reeds | ||
| Metal: | bimetallic | ||
| Magnetic: | yes (center) | ||
| Crude forgery, the central part clearly stands out from the ring. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 10 francs - Génie de la Bastille France |  |  | |
| Year: | 1991 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 22.7 | ||
| Weight in g: | 6.47 | ||
| Edge: | 5 groups of 12 reeds | ||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | yes | ||
| Rust on the center part. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 20 Francs - Napoleon III France |   |   | |
| Year: | 1864 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | A | ||
| Ø in mm : | 21.1 | ||
| Weight in g: | 3.43 | ||
| Edge: | inscribed | ||
| Metal: | plated metal | ||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
Germany
| 5 Mark - Wilhelm II German states - Prussia |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: | 1907 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | A | ||
| Ø in mm : | 38 | ||
| Weight in g: | 17.46 | ||
| Edge: | reeded | ||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | yes | ||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 5 Mark - Wilhelm II German States - Prussia |  |  | |
| Year: | 1904 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 38 | ||
| Weight in g: | 25 | ||
| Edge: | reeded, without lettering | ||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| Die crack through hair. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
Greece (ancient)
| Tetradrachma - Athens Greece (ancient) |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: | |||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 32 | ||
| Weight in g: | 26.1 | ||
| Edge: | |||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| Tetradrachm - Lysimachus Greece (ancient) - Kingdom of Thrace |  |  | |
| Year: | |||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 35 | ||
| Weight in g: | 26.3 | ||
| Edge: | |||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
Hong Kong
| 1 Dollar - Victoria Hong Kong |  |  |
|---|---|
| Year: | 1867 |
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |
| Ø in mm : | 39.2 |
| Weight in g: | 26.54 |
| Edge: | reeded |
| Metal: | |
| Magnetic: | No |
| The real coin on Numista | |
Hungary
| 5 Korona - Franz Joseph I Hungary |  |  |
|---|---|
| Year: | 1900 |
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |
| Ø in mm: | 37.9 |
| Weight in g: | 17.64 |
| Edge: | reeded |
| Metal: | |
| Magnetic: | yes |
| Coin alignment with shift. | |
| The real coin on Numista | |
Indochina
| Piastre de Commerce Indochina |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: | 1908 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 39 | ||
| Weight in g: | 16.78 | ||
| Edge: | reeded | ||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | yes | ||
| One of the most copied coins. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| Piastre de Commerce Indochina |   |  | |
| Year: | 1896 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 39 | ||
| Weight in g: | 14.04 | ||
| Edge: | incorrect reeding | ||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | |||
| Grainy Field and improper mint damage. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| Piastre de Commerce Indochina |   |  | |
| Year: | 1827 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 39 | ||
| Weight in g: | 19.21 | ||
| Edge: | reeded | ||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | |||
| Poorly reeded edge and poor details in general with heavily worn lettering and missing border teeth. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
Italy
| 50 Centesimi - Vittorio Emanuele II Italy |   |  |
|---|---|
| Year: | 1867 |
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |
| Ø in mm : | 18.06 |
| Weight in g: | 2.29 |
| Edge: | |
| Metal: | |
| Magnetic: | no |
| "BN" upside down. Silver test is negative. | |
| The real coin on Numista | |
Japan
| 1 Trade Dollar Japan - Meiji era |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: | (10) 1877 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 36 | ||
| Weight in g: | 17.80 | ||
| Edge: | reeded | ||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| Casting with a big break on the reverse. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 1 Yen Japan - Meiji era |  |  | |
| Year: | 1882 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 38 | ||
| Weight in g: | 19.7 | ||
| Edge: | |||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
Mexico
| 8 Reales - Felipe V Mexico |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: | 1732 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 24 | ||
| Weight in g: | 5 | ||
| Edge: | plain | ||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | yes | ||
| Colonial coinage.Mini coin. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 8 Reales Mexico |  |  | |
| Year: | 1882 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 39 | ||
| Weight in g: | 18.45 | ||
| Edge: | reeded | ||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | yes | ||
| Federal coinage. Inferior Mint quality. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 8 Reales - Carlos III Mexico |  |  | |
| Year: | 1760 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 37 | ||
| Weight in g: | 15.8 | ||
| Edge: | |||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| Colonial coinage. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 20 centavos Mexico |  |  | |
| Year: | 1980 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 28 | ||
| Weight in g: | 9.2 | ||
| Edge: | |||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| Obverse: fantasy design - MEXICO instead of Rep. Mexicana. Reverse: MEXICO instead of CENTAVOS. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
Mongolia
| 10 Möngö Mongolia |  |  |
|---|---|
| Year: | 1925 |
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |
| Ø in mm: | 17.94 |
| Weight in g: | 2.71 |
| Edge: | reeded |
| Metal: | unknown |
| Magnetic: | no |
| Poor production quality and measurements way off. Reeding on edge protrudes over face of coin. | |
| The real coin on Numista | |
Russia
| 1 Ruble Russia |  |  |
|---|---|
| Year: | 1833 |
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |
| Ø in mm: | 38 |
| Weight in g: | 17.20 |
| Edge: | |
| Metal: | |
| Magnetic: | |
| Coin alignement. | |
| The real coin on Numista | |
South Africa
| 1 Pond South Africa |  |  |
|---|---|
| Year: | 1896 |
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |
| Ø in mm : | |
| Weight in g: | |
| Edge: | |
| Metal: | |
| Magnetic: | |
| Supposed to be gold, and in daylight this fake does have a little gold-plating still showing. | |
| The real coin on Numista | |
Spain
| 5 Pesetas - Joseph Napoleon Spanish states |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: | 1814 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 40.3 | ||
| Weight in g: | 25.4 | ||
| Edge: | |||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | |||
| 20 flowers around "pesetas" instead of 25 and missing dot after Barcelona. Blue-gray look. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 20 Reales - Isabel II Spain |   |  | |
| Year: | 1859 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 37.5 | ||
| Weight in g: | 20 | ||
| Edge: | inscribed | ||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | yes | ||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 10 Centimos Spain - 2nd Republic |  |  | |
| Year: | 1938 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 20 | ||
| Weight in g: | 3.75 | ||
| Edge: | |||
| Metal: | |||
| Magnetic: | yes | ||
| Obverse: poor design of the shield and larger letters. Reverse: poor design of the wreath, figure "1" in "10" is different. | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
| 5 pesetas Spain - Provisional government |   Photo : © mad |  | |
| Year: | 1869 | ||
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |||
| Ø in mm : | 35.45 | ||
| Weight in g: | 23.30 | ||
| Edge: | smooth with inscriptions | ||
| Metal: | tin | ||
| Magnetic: | no | ||
| should be silver, coin heavily cleaned | |||
| The real coin on Numista | |||
United Kingdom
| 1 Pound - Menai Bridge United Kingdom |   |  |
|---|---|
| Year: | 2008 |
| Mint/Mint Mark: | |
| Ø in mm : | |
| Weight in g: | |
| Edge: | |
| Metal: | |
| Magnetic: | |
| The obverse has a portrait that someone has taken time over to create a new one. The bridge on the reverse was only used on 2005 coins. Edge is of poor quality. | |
| The real c | |