Fake coin - but oh so real Gold!

[PKennett]

Found this last Saturday in about 5 inches of salty mud on a beach here in Singapore. It's a U.S. Five Dollar gold piece, about the size of a nickel. It came out of the salt water this shinny and corrosion free, so I was pretty excited to see it!

There where thousands of counterfeits made of this coin, along with tons of brass fakes. This one is not real either, as the give-away is the "S" mint mark. No U.S. $5 gold coins were minted in San Francisco in 1907.

However, I took it to a jeweler this week and it is the same weight (8.4 grams) and size as the original. The jeweler claims it is at least 20kt gold. This makes it very close to a real $5 gold coin, but again, the "S" mintmark is proof that this is not authentic U.S. mint. In any event - it's a great find!

Peter

 

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[DigginThePast]

That is a really cool find!

I'd surely take that over any common date Half Eagle. Congrats.

 

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[steelheadwill]

Great Find!
I'd think that EP would show deterioration.
Do diameter & thickness differ from an original to account for weight difference

 

[PKennett]

The size and thickness are identical to a real one. The weight was quoted to be 8.4 grams, however i think he may have rounded up. I have a digital gold scale coming in the mail, and will check it myself.

 

[greg23]

You should have a jeweler put it in a spectrometer. It will give you percentages of metals within it.

Still a heart stopper though!!

HH

Greg

 

[dale68]

It might be cast lead flash coated with gold [flash coating cast lead was a common practice of counterfitters] check the reeded edge with a magnifying glass. let us know what you learn. It's a great find real or not.

 

[Damon64]

It still is a heart-stopper!

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

The only reference to 1907 with an S mintmark came from...you guessed it, a chinese company selling them online:

That's a $10. San Francoso did make the $10 double eagle in 1907, but not the $5.

My bad...I went by the google results and did not check to see if the picture matched...

 

[allen]

either way its a great conversational piece !!

 

[Chicago Ron]

Sweet find, I'll bet there were copys made of coins in real gold just for placement in jewlery!

 

[Silver Searcher]

The size and thickness are identical to a real one. The weight was quoted to be 8.4 grams, however i think he may have rounded up. I have a digital gold scale coming in the mail, and will check it myself.

I think your weight is correct, or near as dam it.....Wikipedia sourse..

Its weight was virtually the same, 8.359 grams, but the diameter was reduced one final time, to 21.6 mm, in 1840. This design was used for nearly 70 years, from 1839 to 1908, with a modest change in 1866, when "In God We Trust" was placed on the reverse above the eagle. It holds the distinction of being the only coin of a single design to be minted at seven U.S. Mints: Philadelphia, Dahlonega, Charlotte, New Orleans, San Francisco, Carson City, and Den.

The Mint marks also appeared below the eagle on the reverse, I would say judging by your sizes and weights, you have a deliberate real Gold reproduction..nice find

SS

 

[rockyredbaron]

Get this up on the Banner ...........quick !!!


WTG


Rockyredbaron

HH to all

 

[mlayers]

Still nice find. I think my heart would have stopped for a few seconds if I saw that in my scoop......Matt

 

[jcooking]

Wow awesome coin, good counterfeit coins can be very collectible. BANNER

 

[traverdog]

If it's gold it's a great find!! congrats!

 

[AMorgan]

You should have a jeweler put it in a spectrometer. It will give you percentages of metals within it.

Still a heart stopper though!!

HH

Greg

Simple test and 100% accurate.

Very nice find.

Spectrometers read only what is on the surface... Heavy plating will give a false positive.

 

[Ray in CA]

Great find! I, too, once found a fake gold coin...a 1911 British Sovereign. I heard they used to throw them to the bride of Indian weddings (not native American). It may not have been a real sovreign, but at least it was around a quarter ounce of real gold!

Ray