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Counterfeit Coin Detection: 1921-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar

Counterfeit 1921-D Half Dollar
Counterfeit 1921-D Half Dollar

 

By Max Spiegel –  Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) ……
The numerous abrasions were copied from a genuine specimen and will appear on all other counterfeits made from this pair of dies.

The 1921-D boasts the lowest mintage in the Walking Liberty half dollar series with just 208,000 pieces struck. In low circulated grades (Good through Very Fine) it is probably the most challenging Walking Liberty half, and in high grades its rarity is eclipsed by only a handful of other dates. According to the NGC US Coin Price Guide, examples could sell for anywhere from a few hundred dollars in Good to thousand of dollars at the Mint State level.

Counterfeit coin Walking Liberty Half DollarThis 1921-D half might appear to be a lightly circulated at first glace. A few major problems quickly become apparent, however, such as the poorly struck details and an unusual lint mark in the right obverse field. The stars in the flag behind Liberty and the peripheral letters are particularly soft with a “fuzzy” appearance.

This coin was likely struck in Asia in recent years and then artificially toned to give the appearance of being a legitimate piece. The numerous abrasions were copied from a genuine specimen and will appear on all other counterfeits made from this pair of dies. Although this fake might not fool a collector familiar with the series, it is deceptive enough to fool many people.

Interested in reading more articles on Counterfeit Detection? Click here.


 

Numismatic Guaranty Company
Numismatic Guaranty Companyhttps://www.ngccoin.com/
NGC was founded in 1987 and has become one of the largest third-party grading services. Their parent company is the Certified Collectibles Group (CCG).

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6 COMMENTS

  1. Ebay, does NOT care about Counterfeits at ALL !! You can report, by their report system, call them, and they will give you the standard….”Okay on dis one” They say they will remove it, and they NEVER do. Ebay just wants their “cut” I imagine the buyers, will learn the hard way, or just Pass the “Burn”

    • Etsy is even worse! There are scumbags posting things like “Rare 1964 US cent with NO MINT MARK! $15,000!!”’

      When you report it the same sellers simply pop up under different names. Disgusting.

  2. I bought a coin off of Ebay that turned out to be counterfeit. My money was returned and I turned the coin over to local law enforcement after speaking with the US Secret Service

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